When Our Shadows Clash
by YanzaDracan
Summary: In a world where the Old Races and humans live together, Eliot is a Mage/shapeshifter, Parker finds out she's a Fae. Now she has to learn what that means, and don't Fae have wings? Morrow steals Tony, who's a Mage, from NCIS. Crossover NCIS & JAG. Slash & Het. Eliot S./Quinn; Alec H./Parker; Tony D.
1. When Our Shadows Clash

_**~ Pre The Nigerian Job ~**_

No one paid any attention to the black hawk perched in the top of the ancient oak that stood guard over the old mansion. With a strong leap and lazy flap of wings, the large black raptor circled the house riding the thermals. Landing in another oak tree, but hidden from sight, the bird disappeared.

~}}}~~~

David Harmon let out a snort of disgust when he saw the large gray, long-haired tomcat sitting regally on his flagstone patio. He'd have to have a word with the neighbors about letting their pets run loose. It wouldn't do to have his high powered corporate cronies smell cat piss when they stepped out of the house for an after dinner smoke.

He watched the big tom stalk across the patio toward the flower bed and disappear in the gray and black shadows of evening. Opening the window he yelled at the animal.

"Don't shit in the flower beds!"

The cat ignored him.

In the heart of the night, shadows moved across the floor of the master suite and into the hallway. Blue/grey eyes reflected eerily in the ambient light of the room. A light touch made short work of opening the safes in the house. Even white teeth flashed in the dark as an ancient artifact was carefully slid into a protective pocket inside the kevlar vest. Satisfied that everything else looked undisturbed, the long black shadow slipped out the window that had been so carelessly closed only hours before.

~}}}~~~

Turning on his phone once he deplaned at the Tulsa International Airport, Eliot Spencer saw the message from someone named Dubenich. He ignored the message and headed for the car rental counter.

Pulling to a stop in front of a small, but neatly kept house, he pulled a duffle out of the back and approached the man with a face like weathered granite and sharp black eyes sitting on the porch. He set the bag at the elder's feet and took a step back.

"E-du-di _(Grandfather)_ , I have brought what the Council hired me to retrieve."

Pulling open the duffel, Walter Black Dog smiled. **_*Such a good boy was his grandson.*_** Pulling out the tobacco, sage and a beautiful wool blanket, which he set aside carefully, he finally got to the real treasure. Another beautiful blanket wrapped around a wooden box. Lifting the lid carefully the old man gasped at the power resonating off the items inside.

He stole a quick glance at the man waiting patiently, standing at parade rest. He seemed not to notice the magical energies dancing through the air until Black Dog saw the arched eyebrow asking if he was done playing with him.

The old man chuckled as he re-wrapped the box. He put his gifts back in the duffel.

"Let's go see the idiots that are going to pay you." He headed for the Jeep, Eliot jogging to keep up.

Dropping Walter back at his house, Eliot smiled at the cash pressed against his ribs. It felt good to get several pounds of flesh back from the people who'd treated him like shit when he was growing up, but ultimately had to call him when they wanted their artifacts back from the families whose ancestors had stolen them from Tsalagi graves many years before.

By midnight he was on a plane for Chicago to find out what this Dubenich cat wanted retrieved.

 _ **~ Post The First David Job ~**_

Walter Black Dog watched Eliot carefully. He'd ghosted into the house a week before, but had made himself scarce most days. The boy hadn't been this uncommunicative since _The Gywdion_ Laird had given him and his sister into Black Dog's care after their parents were killed taking down a warlock. The rogue had been killing humans and members of the Old Races alike, capturing their spirits for use in his workings.

His sister, Rhiannon, had become the high level adept in the family, not showing any of the talents carried through their father's Tsalagi blood. She had returned to the Clan's ancestral home in Scotland to continue her studies when she'd reached the age of majority.

Eliot carried the full weight of the Tsalagi and Gwydion blood. Though he was an above average mage, it was his ability to shift into any creature with a thought, and his mastery of many fighting systems that made him one of the most formidable men on the planet. If the Gwydion Clan Lord called Eliot to handle a problem, you could bet the farm the situation was dire, and the rogue beyond redemption.

Having Eliot home thrilled the Guardian, but the anger and hurt clouding Eliot's aura had him concerned. His boy had been working with two humans, a Tuatha De Danann Fae, and a member of the Reynard (Fox) Clan for almost a year with little in the way of true complaints until he showed up at the door injured, and looking like an Oklahoma thunderhead about to spawn a tornado.

When Walter had tried to get him to talk, the retrieval specialist had shifted to his silver pelted wolf form and with a growl trotted away from the house. He'd returned three days later thinner, but in better humor no longer growling, but still not talking.

A month passed. Everything that needed fixed around the small ranch had been. A half a dozen more artifacts had been liberated from private collections. One of Eliot's less than savory contacts had started to veer into dangerous territory until Eliot paid him a visit that resulted in the coyote shifter acquiring the religion of _Elyat_ , a shadowy reference to his adopted grandson that always made Black Dog smile.

He inhaled the tantalizing aromas that wafted from his plate. Once Eliot was settled at the table, knowing black eyes caught dull blue/grey.

"When are you leaving?"

That his Elder knew shouldn't surprise him.

"Tomorrow."

"Are you going back to your lone wolf ways, or do you return to your new family?"

Taken aback, Eliot scowled at the old man.

"I'm going to take care of some … Unfinished business in Los Angeles." He gestured with his fork. "That's all."

Black Dog didn't bother hiding his snicker.

"You should act your age." Eliot growled as he pointedly ignored his grandfather's antics.

 ** _~ Post The Second David Job ~_**

The next time Walter saw Eliot, it was near Christmas. The enforcer was more relaxed, his aura as clear as someone with Eliot's past ever got.

He came bearing brightly wrapped gifts, too much food, and a small strong box he bent over like a starving wolf with a carcass. Walter was about to question his youngster when Eliot sat the box and its key in front of him. Black Dog gasped and sat down heavily after opening the box. Eliot had continued collecting artifacts while he'd been away. He looked up at his boy.

"Eliot?"

"I'm leavin' for a while, E-du-di." Eliot looked away.

Walter wanted to rain curses down on the people that put the wary look back in Eliot's expression, but knew the youngster would have put protections on these people he cared about, but seemed destined to hurt him.

"Where?"

"Can't say." Eliot huffed.

Eliot saw his Grandfather stiffen at his words. He unbent a little.

"If you need me call the number."

~}}}~~~

He lay perfectly still—keeping his breathing steady. The shadows in the room told him dawn was still several hours in the future. His heart stopped as he felt warm breath on his face.

"Where's Eliot?" A strident voice demanded.

The flash of light from his bedside lamp temporarily blinded him, but at least his heart had started to beat again albeit a little faster than normal.

Blonde hair, dark blue eyes that were narrowed to slits as they stared at him, and a whiff of Eliot's magics gave Black Dog a clue to the woman's identity.

"Eliot's little Fae friend." Walter muttered before he could censor himself.

"What!"

"I said," Black Dog sat up, running his hand over his face to encourage his brain to wake up, "you must be Parker, Eliot's Fae friend."

"Oh. Yeah. Guess I am. Anyway. Where is he?"

"Not here."

She rolled her eyes as she perched on the edge of the window seat.

"I already know that. I wouldn't have woke you up if he was here."

He pulled on his robe and headed for the kitchen. Parker stayed where she was.

"You coming? You woke me up so you might as well join me."

With a grin, Parker scuttled around the Elder and practically skipped to the kitchen.

Walter smirked at the wide eyed expression on the thief's face when he set a cup of hot chocolate in front of her. Delicate as a cat, Parker took a sniff before a smile broke across her face.

"This smells like what Eliot makes me." She took a sip savoring the rich flavor.

"He makes me up a batch when he's here. Always seems to know when my supply is getting low."

Walter sat across from her.

"Why are you here, Parker?" He asked quietly.

"I'm bored. Eliot was teaching me to fight before Sop … Before we had to scatter, and I wanted him to teach me some more."

"Eliot's not here, and before you ask I don't know where he is. He never says except to say it's safer if I don't know, but you're welcome to stay if you'd like."

The midnight blue eyes lit up and went wide at the offer.

"You can use the spare room. It used to be Eliot's sister's but she doesn't visit anymore." His tone held a touch of sadness that pricked Parker's curiosity.

"Okay."

Walter's expression was thoughtful as he watched the slim woman go to her car and retrieve her bag. Even for a Tuatha De Danann she was a tad strange though he seemed to remember Eliot grumbling about Humans trying to raise Fae, and twenty pounds of crazy in a five pound bag. He hadn't known why Eliot had been angry, but now he understood.

The following week was never dull, once Black Dog got used to Parker appearing right under his nose. He was feeding the horses one day when a voice from the barn rafters informed him that _'horses don't really kill clowns, and she was glad Eliot didn't marry Aimee because she was too high maintenance for a guy like him.'_

Well that explained a lot the Guardian thought as he threw a smile toward the shadows and continued his chores. Walter smiled as he watched Parker trying to make friends with him. Things disappeared then reappeared. She would watch him with her old eyes before asking him something incredibly profound or incredibly off the wall.

"What do you know about me?" She asked one evening.

Walter looked up from the turtle shell rattle he'd been putting together.

"Not very much. Eliot isn't much of a talker."

"Pfft. I know that, silly." She flapped her hand to show that wasn't the question. "I mean Fae me not me me."

He laid the rattle aside and gave the blonde his full attention.

"Usually my field of expertise is the Old Races native to this country and their abilities, but I know a little bit about the Tuatha De Danann, and some from other countries."

Holding up a finger for him to wait, Parker dashed to the kitchen, grabbed a bowl of cereal and was back, curled up on the couch before Black Dog could ask what she was doing. When she nodded that she was situated, the old man began his stories.

~}}}~~~

It was deep in the night when Walter stopped talking. He looked over at the couch to see Parker just as bright eyed as when he'd started. She'd asked a few questions, but mainly listened, carefully remembering every word he said. He laid down the finished rattle and cleaned up his tools.

"On that note it's time for this old man to go to bed." He rose from his chair.

Parker's face turned thoughtful as she watched him carefully lay the turtle shell rattle among fans, bells, and bits and pieces of what looked like costumes she'd seen in some of the horse magazines she often found at Eliot's. When Walter started toward the hall her expression became stubborn.

"There's one of the Old Races you didn't tell me about." She called after him.

His face was calm when he looked back at her.

"You didn't tell me about Eliot."

"Eliot is … Eliot. Complicated, simple, highly intelligent but sometimes a tad thick." He held his hand up to stop her protest. "Anything else you will have to learn from him."

"But …"

Walter Black Dog turned his full attention on Parker. His immovable expression actually gave her pause.

"Eliot will tell you what he wants, but I will not for I will not damage to the trust we have built. Now. You are welcome here as long as you wish, but the only tales told of Eliot will be the ones you tell me about your jobs." He turned back toward his bed. "Pleasant dreams to you, Parker."

Parker started to complain, but snapped her mouth shut when it occurred to her that she would not like it if Eliot tracked down her mentor. A smile lit her face—at least she learned more about being Fae. Eliot had been teaching her, but Sophie's little stunt ended their sessions just as the enforcer was getting to the good stuff. **_*Damn it_** _ **, Sophie!***_ She thought as she got ready for bed. She'd stay another day or two … Maybe get Walter to help her practice some of the things he'd told her.

 ** _~ Somewhere in the Middle East ~_**

The Shaheen falcon rode the thermals as it hunted the outcroppings and cliffs along the mountain valley. The group of people below gave no thought to the beautiful raptor as they kept a careful watch of their surroundings. The falcon disappeared from sight obviously having no luck while sharing the pass with humans.

As the shadows lengthened, they began hunting for suitable shelter from the chill of the mountain night. A short canyon to the left looked promising. The group started that way when the falcon appeared from nowhere flying toward the man at the head of the group. The falcon screeched and flew in the opposite direction. With a last look toward the canyon, the group turned to follow the agitated bird.

Darkness was falling rapidly, but still the bird flew on until it banked right and disappeared. The man in front of the group lamented the falcon's sanity and bloodlines as the group continued to walk despite their exhaustion only to turn to the right and stop at the sight of the silver pelted wolf glowing in the twilight. The man who'd been walking point looked down at the wolf.

"Seriously?"

Blue/grey eyes twinkled as the wolf stood and headed through the rock fall. The man was dressed in native clothing, but heavily armed as he directed the people to follow the wolf bringing up the rear—erasing any signs of the group's passing.

The wolf led the people to a fire reflecting off the pool of water at a small oasis, the armed man watched their back trail.

The man cursed when he saw a silver flash in the failing light.

"Dammit." He hissed after the wolf.

His squad had been chosen for this job because they worked well with the Old Races. Their Captain had told them the shifter was in charge. The man's plans were meticulous, and most of the time he and his men were merely backup to shifter's actions. The long haired man never said his name so they'd taken to calling him _'Lobo'_ , which had caused a smirk the first time one of they had used it. Now he was watching the wolf head back the way they'd come to collect the rest of his squad who were helping the majority of the men move their sheep and goats to their new location.

Two hours later he heard the sounds of men and animals moving through the dark. They'd done this a half dozen times before without a hitch. This was the last one before their unit returned to the States, and they were all more than ready. He didn't know what _Lobo_ did when they weren't with him, and watching his Captain's expressions when he read the man's jacket, he was glad to be ignorant of those details.

 ** _~ Newcastleton, Scotland ~_**

Seamus Eliot looked out his window toward the ruins of Hermitage Castle, the ancestral home of the Eliots. The frown marring the rugged face was not usually seen, for it wouldn't do to scare the tourists staying at the Liddesale Hotel. As owner of the hotel, Laird of Clan Eliot, and _The Gwydion_ , paying customers were not something you took for granted.

When he'd sent Eliot Spencer to hunt down the rogue wolf shifter and Djinn that were hiding among the Taliban, he hadn't expected to receive a phone call from a man identifying himself as Eliot's former CIA liaison congratulating him and asking where he wanted the Gwydion Clan's share of the reward for three Taliban leaders that had turned up on the news dead in the last six months. When he'd asked for clarification, he'd been informed Spencer had taken his usual cut, but the CIA needed updated information from the Clan. The man had said he usually spoke with Rhiannon on such matters, but since he had **THE Gwydion** on the line, he'd ask him.

Seamus had quietly transferred the call to his wife. The new receptionist had thought she was sending the call to Accounting, but got him by mistake. He gave it a few minutes and when his wife didn't come to him, he went looking for her.

He practically crashed through her office door to confront her about her brother's activities when the sight of his wife nursing their newborn daughter took all the wind out of his sails. Female high level adepts rarely had children. The stress of the magics on their bodies made pregnancy and birth difficult and dangerous. That Rhiannon had given them not only a son, but also a daughter was a miracle in itself. He sat down in the chair across from his wife with a thump.

"You pimped your baby brother to the CIA, again?" He kept his voice low in deference to his daughter, but the bite of his anger was evident.

With a sigh, she put the baby over her shoulder before answering.

"He was headed that way anyway. I just took advantage of the situation." She cringed inwardly. The words sounded cold even to her ears. The baby fussed.

"All the weeks of worry, sleepless nights, roller coaster of emotions you went through when he'd go missing for months in some backwater country ... You being the one responsible for him being there in the first place." His voice grew louder until the baby burped than started to react to her parents' emotions.

"Eliot's an Alpha. He did what needed done." Rhiannon Spencer's voice was firm as she contained her emotions, and soothed the baby.

"He was a boy!" He practically shouted as Rhiannon settled their daughter in her bassinet before rounding on her husband.

"That boy did what was necessary to protect his family and his Clan." She hissed as she pulled her husband into the hallway.

"Does Black Dog know?"

"I had to tell him, especially after Eliot returned to Oklahoma so suddenly when he was supposed to be here receiving his magical education. He probably would have been Adept class if someone hadn't wolfed out and challenged him. Eliot knew this wasn't his pack, that's why he wouldn't fight you, but he refused to let his sister live in poverty because the Clan coffers were empty. Why do you think I cajoled The McKenna into training me to take over the Clan's finances?" She practically growled.

The Scotsman paled under his tan.

"His time with …" Seamus clamped his jaw shut on the name.

Eliot had been practically feral when he'd come to their door all pie-eyed and snappish after his years with Damien Moreau. When he'd finally relaxed, they'd find him in odd spots—curled around their son, or with their Irish wolf hounds ... Seldom in his own bed. When he left he hadn't come again until the birth of their daughter.

Rhiannon didn't tell her husband how profitable that time had been. Eliot's work for the alphabet agencies in the US and UK had brought their finances into the black where they'd been ever since. There was money to pay other hunters besides Eliot, plus keep in operation one of the few refuges for the Old Races to come and learn about and practice their talents and abilities. The reward money from the Taliban members would keep them solvent for years to come.

"What about today?" Seamus asked.

He really did care about his brother-in-law, even though the man scared the daylights out of him, and he prays every day Eliot never challenges him to be The Alpha.

"An added bonus along with the rogues. He doesn't have to do any of it for the Clan anymore." Rhiannon assured him.

She had truckloads of guilt over what her brother's life had become to keep their clan in hearth and home, but he had survived and come out the other side. Other than what she read on paper, she had no way of knowing what he'd gone through since Eliot had cut their familial bond when he'd gone into Delta Force.

"He's making a quick stop to see Maeve and Eirnin on his way back to the States." Rhiannon informed her husband as she opened the door to her office.

Maeve was sleeping soundly now that the high emotions between her parents had calmed.

Before going back to work, Rhiannon brushed her lips across her husband's.

"Eliot doesn't want your place, Love. He just wants a little peace and maybe his own family." She walked back in her office and shut the door.

Angry that his wife and enlisted her brother to keep the Clan afloat, but relieved that money was no longer a problem The Gwydion Laird headed to the Hermitage to let the ancient ruins soothe his ire.

 _ **~ Pre The Beantown Bailout Job ~**_

After the debriefing of his last mission, providing proof of identity of the two rogues, and the Taliban members he'd killed ... Eliot Spencer caught a ride to the airport, and used the ticket Sophie had bought him under his Mark Baker alias to get back to the US. He smirked as he entered the jet way, the idiots that had been tailing him still watching the gate for the flight his CIA liaison had booked.

Eliot settled into the plush first class seat letting the drone of the jet engines lull him into a meditative state. His senses were still hyper-aware from being in a war zone, so sleep was out of the question, but meditating was almost as good. Bones and muscles ached from the multiple shifts in a short span of time so he concentrated on relaxing each of his muscles until he dropped into a light doze that lasted until half way across the Atlantic. He spent the rest of the trip wondering if Sophie was planning a team reunion, and how they would be with each after being separated almost a year.

"You know we've been doin' some really hinkey stuff in Pakistan." Hardison marveled as they sat at the bar consoling Sophie. "Where were you, Eliot?"

All eyes turned to the retrieval specialist. "Pakistan." He hesitated. "This do gooder stuff gets under your skin." He growled as he reached for his beer.

Stretched out on Nate's bedroom floor with Parker tucked against his chest, Hardison on the other side, Sophie commandeering the bed with an unconscious Nate on the couch, Eliot marveled at how they came back together so seamlessly. As for himself, Parker and Hardison, they weren't quite ready to place their full trust in the now sober Nate or Sophie. He'd been nearly ready to throttle Parker when she whispered in his ear that she'd met Walter, who was teaching her about being a Fae.

"He's our secret." She whispered against his chest. "Now I have a live family." She'd let out a little sigh, and went to sleep.

Eliot cursed Walter and his affinity toward strays then gave in to the inevitable. He'd been adopted by Walter and Parker. Trying to change either of their minds was right up there with moving mountains and draining swamps … It just didn't happen. His mouth curved upward as Parker wound around him—Walter was always happiest when he had someone to mother hen. With Parker in the picture maybe he'd get a little breathing room.

 _ **~ The Tap-Out Job ~**_

Leaning on the ropes, as he watched Sophie walk away, Eliot wondered at the grifter's attention to him. Was she interested in his mental state through all this because she actually cared, or was she simply studying him like a bug on a pin? Sophie was, after all a Reynard. The 'Fox' Clan weren't shifters—they were Talents—carrying a charisma that made them great at being politicians, televangelists, and grifters—among other things. Turning back into the ring, he tugged his gloves off and began a series of katas to cool down before heading to the showers.

Changing positions in his seat in an attempt to get comfortable, Eliot wished he was someplace where he could shift. He always healed faster in animal form. Letting his form shimmer with the change when he knew the flight attendant was watching got him the distance he needed from everyone except Parker, who didn't let the fact that he was beat up and surly stop her from using him as a pillow. He glanced up in time to catch Hardison looking at the blonde pressed against his side like someone kicked his puppy. Rolling his eyes, Eliot started a list of the reasons it was better to work alone.

For a week after they got back from Nebraska, Nate fussed and hovered until Eliot was ready to divulge his true nature just to get the mastermind to back off.

After he was healed, Nate continued to touch, pet, and get in his space until fed up with his antics, Eliot had bluntly asked him if he was trying to get in his pants. Nate had blushed, sputtered and stuttered until the shifter mage had pulled him into a kiss that short circuited his rapid fire brain.

Later when Eliot's softened cock slid out of this body, Nate had asked in a bleary voice why they hadn't done this before.

Raising himself on hands and knees to move off Nate, blue eyes met.

"I don't do drunks ... Functional or not." He said simply as he went into the bathroom to clean up.

He returned shortly with a cloth and with quick and easy strokes wiped Nate down. He was settled back in the bed with Nate pulled against his chest before Nate spoke.

"So we wouldn't have done this if I was still drinking?"

"That's right."

"If I start again?" He asked, his brow furrowed in thought.

"We'll stop doing this." Eliot answered bluntly as he turned out the light.

~}}}~~~

They were good together. Nate stayed out of the bottle and Eliot let himself fall. If the drive to win no matter the cost kept Nate out of the scotch, Eliot was willing to pay the price. In the back of the retrieval specialist's mind always loomed the possibility that his staying in one place for an extended amount of time would allow his past to rear its violent head.

 _ **~ The Two Live Crew Job ~**_

Standing in Sophie's apartment as she held the vase full of explosives, he was so angry he wanted to snap and snarl at them all. Instead his voice was blunt, but calm when he and Parker explained their options. Giving Parker a look that had the thief shoving Hardison out of the room and pulling on Nate's arm, which was almost impossible because the mastermind kept trying to pull away.

"I'm staying!" Nate insisted.

Eliot heard the desperation in Nate's voice as he fought against Parker. He knew Nate and Sophie had a lot of history, but what he heard in Nate's voice didn't leave any room for him. Gritting his teeth against the stabbing pain in his chest, Eliot stopped just outside the apartment door and watched as Parker shoved Nate toward the stairs.

Hearing Sophie running from the apartment, he began his incantation. He grabbed her as she ran out the door just as he said the last word of the spell, the world erupted in flames. Keeping the brunette pulled tight against him, the fire licked around his shielding.

Shock kept Sophie pliant so she didn't fight Eliot when he pulled her toward the stairs. Only when they stood at the door to the lobby did he let the shield drop. It was also at the door to the lobby that Sophie regained her equilibrium.

"What!? Eliot!? What's going on? How did …." She stopped in her tracks. "You're one of the Old Ones!" She gasped. "Why …?"

"Why do you think?" Eliot growled as he stalked through the door in front of the grifter.

"But we could use your …"

The glare Eliot turned on her froze her blood and her words.

"Typical Reynard." He spat. She paled.

They headed out the back of the building, away from the gawkers and emergency personnel. The blast had blown out the cameras around the buildings giving them the chance to smuggle Sophie out without anyone the wiser.

Sophie watched Parker sidle up against Eliot, offering him comfort in her blunt backward fashion. The hitter had given her a tight smile, which communicated more than the grifter could decipher until she caught Parker giving her a steely eyed stare while Nate and Hardison watched camera footage from around her building.

The grifter in her marveled at the interaction between Eliot and Parker—she wondered briefly if they were lovers, but Eliot had treated the blonde more like an annoying sibling than anything else. Parker being protective of Eliot … Perhaps she was privy to his little secret. Her imagination had often fancied Parker as something more than human, and the body language between Eliot and Parker screamed **'SECRET!'**. She wondered if Nate knew his 'boy' was one of the Old Races. She was still a little peeved at Nate for taking Eliot to his bed instead of her, but her apartment exploding had just given her the perfect opportunity.

She'd let Eliot and Parker have their secret, but when she finished her little sabbatical to settle all the different pieces of herself, she would be taking Nate back from Eliot, or maybe she'd keep Nate and Eliot. The scene with her last lover had left her shaken. With Nate and Eliot she could be herself, and not have to worry about keeping her personas straight.

Now all she had to do was break the news to Nate and the team.

~}}}~~~

Seeing Sophie lying so still in the casket actually made a twinge in Eliot's chest. He didn't have to fake the emotions showing through his words as he eulogized _'Katherine'_.

After Sophie's departure to _'find herself'_ , it took several jobs for them to find their equilibrium. The one place Eliot could not find his footing was with Nate. The mastermind was grieving like Sophie was really dead and not off on a world tour, making things rocky between them.

Eliot was hurt and wanted go to ground between jobs in order to heal, but Parker's anxiety and anger over losing her connection to _'how to act normal'_ led to Hardison's flailing while he tried to figure out how to comfort the skittish thief. They kept Eliot trapped in Boston as he somehow became the linchpin that kinda sorta kept them focused. When Sophie threw Tara Cole at them, it was close to being the straw that broke the retrieval specialist.

Eliot tried to hold on, but everyday Nate pulled further away … Constantly calling and talking to Sophie's voicemail, so when Mark Doyle challenged him to drink with him, Eliot and Parker had silently pleaded with him from across the bar not to take the drink. There was a minute pause as if he might be thinking of what he was losing by taking the drink, but he looked directly at Eliot with a challenge rather an apology in his bloodshot blue eyes as he threw back the shot of Jameson's, then turned his attention back to Doyle.

Devastated, Eliot and Parker turned their attention back to Doyle's boys.

 _ **~ Post The Bottle Job ~**_

Nate woke the next morning ... Head pounding, sick and alone. Dragging himself to the shower, he felt slightly more human, but as he moved from the bathroom to the bedroom there was a _'wrong'_ feeling about the room. The feeling grew as he moved carefully down the stairs. The chill darkness of the apartment caused a shiver to run down his spine. Waiting for the coffeepot to produce badly needed caffeine, his eyes roamed over the apartment.

Seeing the time, he was amazed that Hardison wasn't puttering around the room, though it been close to dawn when they'd wrapped up the job. He and Cora had sat reminiscing about her father over shots for another hour or so before she'd gone back to the office and stretched out on the couch.

Pouring a generous dollop of Bushmills in his coffee, he turned on the television to see the results from the information McCann, Donnelly and Cabella had gotten from Doyle. He grinned maliciously watching various members of the Irish Mob doing the perp walk.

Brain beginning to function, Nate still couldn't shake the feeling of something missing. If Parker had begun lifting things from the apartment to show her disapproval of his falling off the wagon, she was going to catch the sharp side of his tongue. The expressions on her and Eliot's faces as he'd downed that shot was …

Eliot.

His coffee cup danced precariously on the counter with the haste he set it down and dashed up the steps. All the small touches that said Eliot was settling into their relationship were gone. Almost falling down the spiral staircase in his haste to get back to the kitchen, he tried to remember where the enforcer kept 'his' things.

Empty. Empty. Gone. Gone. Cabinet doors and drawers hung open as the mastermind checked them all.

He didn't know many things about Eliot, but the one thing he'd known to the bottom of his soul was that Eliot was a man of his word. Apparently he'd not only retrieved his personal belongings, but Nate's hacker and thief as well.

His alcohol abused body finally refused to obey the adrenaline pumped brain and collapsed on the couch as the bloodshot blue eyes stared unseeing at the pictures of chaos they'd caused in Boston's Irish community. He searched his pockets frantically. Finding his phone he hit the number 1.

"Sophie, please pick up. I've really screwed up, and I need you."

~}}}~~~

Sharp black eyes watched the cloud of red dust rolling across the field from under the wheels of the pickup truck that rolled to a stop in front of his small, but neatly kept house. The black eyes twinkled as sharp ears heard the complaints from inside the vehicle. He didn't know what caused the sudden silence, but knowing two of the three people in the truck, he could imagine.

Before he could blink, his arms were full of a squirming, grinning blonde hugging the breath out of him. Quickly whispered words and his arms were empty when like quicksilver the Tuatha De Danann was tugging a young black man from the front seat of the crew cab truck.

Black eyes darted to the haggard looking man climbing from behind the wheel. Everything about him screamed of being in pain though he could see no wounds. Blue/grey eyes locked with black.

"E-du-di?" The gravel whisper was choked.

The Elder gave a nod. In a breath a silver pelted wolf stood by the Fae. Parker threw her arms around the wolf's neck and buried her face in his ruff.

"I'll take care of it." She whispered as she let go.

In another breath the wolf was gone, streaking across the grasslands.

The Elder grinned at the pole-axed expression on the youngster's face. With mischief dancing in dark blue eyes, Parker grinned at the old man.

"Grandfather, meet Hardison."

~Fini~


	2. The Wings Job

Nate felt jealousy rise like bile in his throat as Eliot smiled and thanked the waitress for his beer. Acting more like a jilted lover than mastermind to a crew of thieves, he kicked the enforcer's ankle to divert his attention back on him and Tara.

"What? I can't have a friend?"

"You want a friend, join a softball team." Nate snapped.

Tara looked confused and Eliot growled at the nonsensical comment as they continued to read through stacks of files.

Looking up when the bell over the door rang, Nate's eyes went wide.

"Eliot, I'm going to ask you not to do anything violent."

"What? … What are you talking about? You know I only use violence as … As a … As a … As an appropriate response."

"Hello, Nate." Sterling said.

So began a series of jobs that kept the team on the brink of exhaustion until everyone but Nate climbed into a helicopter at the docks that Eliot diverted to land in a field outside the city. Once the pilot lifted off, the shifter-mage walked into a barn hidden behind an illusion.

When they stopped at the end the long dirt drive to park in front of a historic farm house near Annapolis, Maryland, even Parker was exhausted beyond complaint. Eliot shooed everyone to second floor carrying bags he pulled out of the back of the SUV.

"Make yourselves at home. I'm going to fix something to eat and we'll worry about everything else tomorrow."

Sophie started to speak, but a glare from Eliot closed her mouth with a snap and sent her scurrying up the stairs. After their case with the phony psychic Dalton Rand, also a Reynard, Eliot had a gut full of the clan of talents, and his glare dared Sophie to complain about his hijacking of her plan. Parker's near meltdown had Eliot providing support for both the thief and hacker. How those two had become pack was still puzzling the retrieval specialist, but they were, and there was no way a Reynard was going to do further damage to his little pack of three.

Eliot sighed heavily as he put the finishing touches on dinner. He slipped the salad in the fridge to chill while his lasagna baked. He'd bought the historic Maryland farm with money from the Dubenich job and set it up as a getaway for members of the Old Races. The 150 acre farm was bordered by Ridout Creek and the Chesapeake Bay, and perfect for all forms of shifters. The cottages on the property had shielded work rooms so mages could practice without fear of hurting themselves or their neighbors all overseen by friends of Walter Black Dog, his adopted grandfather. Sheena and Davin LaFae had been wonderful caretakers and always seemed to know when Eliot was going to need the property clear of visitors. Now was no exception. He'd checked the area when he parked the SUV in the garage and found the only fresh scents to be the LaFaes.

With nothing left to do except wait for dinner to bake, the retrieval specialist tracked Parker's progress through the house as she checked it out.

"Are ya going to introduce us to your pack, Elyat?" Sheena's Irish lilt came from the connecting door to their quarters, which had once been the out kitchen.

"Will you and Davin join us for dinner?"

"Sure'n we will. Davin'd never pass up a chance to eat your vittels."

"Then I'll introduce you." Eliot looked up at the pale woman. "Parker …"

"Aye 'n the lass be one of us. We felt her when ya came through wards at the front gate."

"She only knows what Black Dog and I have taught her …" Eliot paused.

Concerned, Sheena stepped further into the kitchen. "Elyat?"

"She … Uh … No wings." Eliot's voice was quiet.

"A halfling, ya think."

"No. She's always thought she was human … Broken, but human."

"Ah. Perhaps that will change hanging about with another Old One." The Fae teased.

"Don't you have a mate to bother?"

"Not at the moment, but you'll do."

Eliot thumped his head down on the counter.

"Why are you hitting your head on the counter and who's she?" Parker watched Sheena out of the corner of her eye as she skittered around behind Eliot.

"Parker … Sheena … Sheena … Parker. Sheena and her husband, Davin are the farm's caretakers."

Still eyeing Sheena, Parker bent down to Eliot's ear.

"She's like us." She stated in a stage whisper.

"Sheena and Davin are Fae."

Dark blue eyes glittered with **_curiosity/hope/suspicion_** as they looked Sheena over.

"Can they teach me stuff?"

"Better than me or Grandfather."

"Grandfather's stories are probably better." Parker defended the Elder.

Eliot's head still rested on the counter top.

"Davin quit lurking."

A wiry red head standing at six foot tall stepped out of the shadows of the connecting door and to his wife's side.

"Parker this is Davin, who'd be a lesser man if not for Sheena kicking his ass on a regular basis."

"Hey now. I just be a gentleman to me lady wife." Davin blushed.

"Go tell Sophie and Hardison supper's ready." Eliot encouraged his thief.

Parker skirted the LaFaes as she left the kitchen. Eliot slipped off his stool and pulled the salad out of the refrigerator and slammed the bowl on the counter as Parker's bellow accosted his sensitive hearing.

 **"ELIOT SAYS SUPPER'S READY!"**

She yelled from the foot of the stairs.

"She must be feeling ta home if she's not being quiet." Davin remarked.

"Not helping Fairy Boy." Eliot reached in the oven for the pan of lasagna.

"Go wash ya lout." Sheena shoved Davin as she moved to help Eliot plate supper.

"You have wings." A voice from the back stairs startled Sheena from her breakfast preparations.

"As ucht Dé! _(My God)_ " The Fae woman exclaimed.

"Why isn't Eliot cooking breakfast? How come I don't have wings? Eliot and Grandfather said I'm Fae."

"Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, Girl, slow down. Give a body a chance to answer, won't ya."

Parker rummaged through the pantry.

"Ha! No matter where we land, Eliot always has my fortune cookies." The thief crowed.

"Aye and Elyat be takin' care of his family." Sheena went back to her mixing.

"Have you ever met his sister?" Parker munched happily as she unrolled the paper fortune.

"Aye. She lives in Scotland with her husband and children."

"What's she do?"

She's the Chief Financial Officer of the Clan Eliot, and married to the Laird of the Clan who's also _The Gwydion_."

"Eliot has a clan … In Scotland?"

"Aye."

Parker munched thoughtfully for a minute.

"Oh. Grandfather told me about _The Gwydion_. That's the person that passes judgment on rogue members of the Old Races."

" _The Gwydion_ sits at the head of a council that oversees the laws of our kind. Elyat is the Council's chief enforcer."

"Is that where he goes when he has a job away from us?"

"Now I wouldn't be knowin' all Himself's business, and if I did it wouldn't be for me to say." Sheena reprimanded the thief.

"But …"

"Parker, are you pestering Sheena?"

"The girl's no bother, me boyo. Be takin' your sweaty self to the shower and get back down here for a proper breakfast. I can count the ribs on you and your wolf." Sheena scolded.

"Yes ma'am." Eliot gave the Fae a teasing wink before narrowing his eyes at Parker who smirked as she broke another fortune cookie and pulled out the paper before popping it in her mouth.

Relaxing on the patio after breakfast, Hardison looked up from his tablet.

"So when to we start planning to get Nate out of jail?" He looked at Eliot.

"We don't." Eliot growled.

"WHAT!?" They all started talking at once.

"Nate worked a deal with Sterling for our freedom so until we hear from Nate that he's tired of playing the martyr for the good of the family, we have a nice bay side vacation before returning to Boston, preferably after Sterling crawls back under his rock."

"What do you suggest we do in the meantime?" Sophie asked.

"You can go see Nate on visiting days, Hardison can scramble the audio, and Parker and I will look for jobs the four of us can do without Nate's elaborate contortions."

"But what about Nate?" The hacker asked.

"Nate will stay until he thinks he's done his penance then find some over the top way to get out." Eliot shrugged.

Parker scrunched her face and looked out the top of her eyes like she was trying to follow Eliot's thoughts.

"It's a Jesuit-Catholic guilt thing, Parker. Don't give yourself a stroke trying figure it out, and what are you doing?"

"Trying to see if I have wings."

"You don't have wings …" Hardison looked confused. "Why would you have wings?"

"Because I'm supposed to, Silly. Fae have wings." She stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Fae! Whatchumean Fae?" Hardison's voice rose with his surprise. "You mean like Eliot …" He snapped his mouth closed.

"Like Eliot what?" Sophie asked.

She knew Eliot was a mage, but if there was something else, then she definitely wanted to know. Any little tidbit of information that could get her back into Nate's bed with or without Eliot would be good.

"I can hear you thinking. Sophie so you can just stop and back up. Nate and I aren't together anymore so there's no competition. What Hardison tried so eloquently not to say is that I'm from a VERY old line ... Just like you're a Reynard, Parker is a Fae and Nate and Hardison are human."

"What Reynard? Sophie's a French fox?" Parker asked.

"No, he means Sophie's from a clan of talents. Their talent is charisma. They're grifters, politicians, preachers, and other people that use their charisma to get what they want." Hardison answered.

"What about Tara?" Parker glared at Sophie.

"Not a Reynard, just a human with a face and body that makes people stupid and the training to exploit it." Eliot added his glare to Parker's.

"What?" Sophie shrugged. "She owed me a huge favor."

"A favor." Hardison blinked owlishly. "We put up with her … Her …" He looked at Parker and Eliot.

"Shenanigans." Eliot offered.

"Thank you. Shenanigans, to repay her debt to you."

Giving her an eye roll and a snort of disbelief, Eliot left the room ... Parker and Hardison still eyeing her like a bug on a pin.

"What?" She asked, and was rewarded with Hardison shaking his head as he pulled Parker out of the room after Eliot.

With Eliot's admission that he and Nate were no longer together, she needed to start planning on getting back into the mastermind's bed.

Their last evening at the farm, Eliot escaped the excitement in the house that was Sophie and Hardison packing. Dressed for a run, there was a blur then a silver pelted wolf loped into the darkness. The house was quiet by the time the wolf returned to human form, but Eliot took a last few minutes to open his senses to the countryside before he turned them down to the levels needed to survive in the city.

He wasn't surprised when Parker climbed in his lap a few minutes later. The thief had spent the majority of their downtime with Sheena and Davin learning all she could about being Fae. She continued to gripe about her lack of wings.

"I'm more not normal than even I knew." She muttered into his shirt.

What she said was the truth so Eliot simply hummed his agreement and ran a comforting hand up and down the length of her spine.

"Think I'll ever be Fae enough to get wings?"

"You've always been Fae enough, Parker. It'll happen when it's time. You're still a youngling and different types of Fae mature at different rates. Could be talking with Grandfather and being around Sheena and Davin will get things moving."

"Okay." Parker said brightly as she bounced off Eliot's lap. "Are you sleeping tonight or howling at the moon?" She teased as she skipped toward the house.

"Why you ..."

Eliot rolled off the chaise and hit the ground in wolf form growling playfully as he chased after the slim blonde.

Stepping from the shadows, Davin pulled his mate close.

"The two younglings be good for Elyat." Sheena mused. "They keep him out his head."

"Aye, Lass. We've done good work with youngster." Davin pressed a kiss to her temple.

"It's good to have a youngling around again. They're so few these days." Sheena's tone was wistful.

"Are ya longin' for a bairn of your own?" Davin's brogue deepened at the thought.

"Once we have Elyat settled we'll … Discuss it." Sheena gave him a sly smile as they melted back into the shadows.

When they got Nate out of jail, it left them at the mercy of _'The Italian'_ and her Star Chamber bosses. Since she kept the authorities off their trail, Eliot let her play out her hand. Feeling the pressure of his six month deadline for bringing down Damien Moreau, the mastermind began to push. He pushed them over lines they'd never before crossed. It seemed admitting he was a thief opened a door behind which Nate had locked all the nastiness he'd learned at his father's knee. Being in jail opened all those doors and Nate drowned his Jesuit guilt in Irish whiskey while channeling Jimmy Ford.

There were many nights Eliot glared Nate into submission when injuries and exhaustion had them all reeling while Nate heard the clock ticking like the Sword of Damocles over his head. Running through the woods handcuffed to a whining Hardison pushed Eliot's temper to the limits.

"I don't know why you don't just shift into one of your little furry friends and get us out of these cuffs." The hacker moaned.

"Bespelled handcuffs, Hardison." Eliot growled as the power in the handcuffs blocked his magic.

"Bespelled! What'cha mean bespelled?"

"There has to be ways to keep the Old Races locked up or restrained. Sure you can cast a spell, but that takes a lot of work and energy when you can just put a spell on handcuffs and prison cells."

"Can't you un-bespell them?"

"This ain't one of your little geek games on your little box. It'd take at least two hours without people shooting at me." Eliot snapped as he gave a hard tug.

By the end of the day Hugh Whitman and his paramilitary group were rounded up as they nursed breaks and bruises, courtesy of Eliot and Alec, along with being arrested by the FBI. Sitting in the hacker's condo staring at the virtual fishing game, Hardison crowed as he landed another virtual fish.

"I thought since you can do magic, you couldn't be tied up and stuff."

"There's always a way to catch someone … Keep them captive … There's also ways to get around them with time and talent, but if you're short on time you have to work with what available. Bespelled cuffs keep me from shifting or using magic, but I can still pick the lock or cut the chain same as you would." Eliot growled in frustration at the television screen.

"But you didn't shift after we cut the chain."

"Still had the cuff on … Dammit." Eliot tossed down the fake fishing pole. "That's not fishing." He pulled a beer out of the cooler. "It just an added skill set, Hardison. Being one of the Old Races doesn't make you invincible or omnipotent ... Just different."

"So when we plan a job …"

"Don't plan it with the thought of a Fae and a shifter/mage ... You plan it like always ... Five humans doing a job."

"Then if we need the extra skill sets it's there. What does Parker being Fae mean?"

"Nothing right now." Eliot pulled a cheese plate out of the refrigerator. "It might not mean anything in the long run except an extra long lifespan. She's a kid in Fae terms … Still finding herself. Different clans have different talents, and since we don't know her clan …"

Silence reigned while Alec rummaged through the pantry looking for his snack stash. Eliot was enjoying the organic goat cheese that had just arrived from **_Firefly Farms_**. He was savoring the way his microbrew complimented the cheese and crackers when dishes clattered in the kitchen.

"Hardison?"

"I'm gonna die first." The hacker lamented.

"What?!"

"You and Parker are like **_The Highlander_** , and I'm gonna get old and die."

"Not going to lie to you, Man, the Old Races are long lived, but who knows what's going to happen tomorrow."

"Easy for you to say. How old are you?" Alec asked.

"What it says on the label, Bubba." Eliot settled back in his chair. "You going to let that stop you?"

"I am the baby of the family." He smirked. "Think I'll stick around just to hear you keep saying, 'Dammit, Hardison.'"

"Wouldn't have it any other way." They clicked their beer and soda bottles together.

Cora had just cleared their lunch dishes off the table when Sophie returned to her seat. Seeing the pinched expression, Parker watched Eliot's shoulders pull up around his ears before he forced himself to relax. They'd learned the hard way when Sophie looked stressed one of them usually ended up hurt and it was usually Eliot.

"Moreau's auctioning off something call _Ram's Horn ..._ It's invitation only."

"We need an in." Nate muttered. "Eliot … Hardison … Figure out how we can get an invitation to that auction."

"Sophie, who can get in to Department of Defense projects."

"The President, The Joint Chiefs, Congress, Senate …"

"Perfect. Sophie, you and Parker are with me. Let's go people." Nate rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

Parker studied the file they had stolen from the DOD while they waited for Eliot and Hardison. A chill ran across her shoulders causing the thief to look up. Hardison barreled through the park looking angrier than she'd ever seen him. He hadn't looked that mad when they blew up the office in Los Angeles. Eliot followed at a more sedate pace, but he was pulled in on himself giving no clue as to why Hardison had steam coming out his ears.

"We're in." Eliot's tone was brusque.

"What you do you mean we're in?" Nate frowned.

"Tell them what you did, Eliot. You risked my life." Hardison said from between clenched teeth.

The look Parker saw Eliot throw at the hacker said Hardison was exaggerating, but the younger man didn't back down.

"We're in. Moreau's gonna give me the details of the auction tomorrow."

"You? Why is he giving you the details?" Sophie sounded incredulous.

"I said we're in! Just make the plan." Eliot took a step back to stand outside the group.

"Hey. Eliot worked with Moreau back in the day. A lot. Tell." Hardison flounced down on the park bench next to Parker and snatched the tablet.

"We've been chasing Moreau for six months and you didn't tell us?" Nate stepped toward Eliot thinking to intimidate the alpha shifter.

"Because I was trying to ..."

"Because **_what_**? _"_ Nate took another step.

"... Figure a way around this without ..."

"So, what, you're protecting him, or ..."

Finally tired of taking a browbeating from the mastermind for protecting the weakest members of his family, Eliot stepped into Nate's space a let a fraction of his alpha disposition uncoil. **"I'm protecting you!** **Okay? Last time I checked, that's my job."**

Not used to seeing the alpha side of Eliot's personality, Nate backed up and considered this next words carefully. He couldn't afford to alienate a man of Eliot's talents.

Parker watched her teammates carefully. She knew she wasn't normal, but seeing the humans' reaction to Eliot, the young Fae realized Eliot didn't fit with them either. Parker's attention returned to Eliot when Hardison flinched away from the enforcer and closer to her. She brought her attention back to what Eliot was saying.

"... And I'll never be clean of that." Eliot was pale and had shoved his hands in his pockets.

"What did you do?" Parker asked innocently.

"Don't ask me that, Parker. Because if you ask me, I'm gonna tell you. So please, don't ask me."

The expression in Eliot's eyes reminded Parker of one she sometimes saw in the mirror so she blinked back the tears that had pooled in her eyes for his pain, gave him a small nod, and an even smaller grin.

Used to having Hardison behind the scenes monitoring everyone's comms, Parker felt a bit disoriented with the team split between going after _Ram's Horn_ and the auction. She was accustomed to part of her brain constantly readjusting her plans according to what she was hearing from her team mates. Jumping from the bridge to train refocused her attention on the job at hand. It was up to her and Hardison to stop the EMP bomb. This was her playing field so she settled her whining hacker and put her quick mind to work.

The beautiful explosion and the excitement of their escape prompted the thief to admit her feelings for Hardison. When they climbed back in the SUV, Hardison was smiling so hard the car practically floated to where they dumped the bright blue vehicle, and took a roundabout path back to their hotel with Hardison controlling the cameras around the building.

The adrenaline had long worn off before Nate called for them to meet at the airport. Darkness had fallen by the time they made it to the hangar, and their anxiety levels rose when they saw the blue and red lights painting the hangar walls. Parker and Hardison exchanged a look then picked up their pace. Nate hadn't mentioned Eliot when he called and no one had heard from the retrieval specialist since they'd left for the auction.

They relaxed when they saw Eliot helping the paramedics load _The Italian_ into the ambulance. Tapping on the closed doors, they watched Eliot turn away to speak to Nate. The mastermind's expression was dark as he nodded to the enforcer. Next thing the thief knew, they were scattered across the cabin on the red-eye flight to Boston, and Eliot disappeared before they were out of the jet way.

The next morning, Parker shoved Hardison out of the way of the refrigerator door. Pulling out a bottle of juice she leaned against the door.

"You know this isn't going to be normal?" The thief raised her eyebrows at the hacker.

"I'm aware. You're a Fae, and then there's whatever's going on with you and Eliot."

With a sly smile, Parker shoved past Hardison toward the couch.

"What if it's whatever's going on with you, me and Eliot?" She whispered as she flitted past the flabbergasted Hardison.

Shaking himself like a wet dog, Hardison followed her to where Parker grabbed her phone.

"I love the brother ... I don't think ..." He answered weakly.

Parker held up her hand as her call connected.

"Grandfather, did he get there?"

"He didn't come to me, Girl." The old Guardian answered.

"Where?"

"We have to wait for him this time."

"But …"

"Parker …"

"Okay."

"Take care, and tell Hardison to take a breath before he passes out." The Guardian chuckled as he cut the call.

"Parker?" Hardison asked.

"I can't find Eliot."

Gathering her in in his arms, the hacker held her loosely.

"That just means he didn't go far." Alec crooned. "He always gives you a clue when he's going to be gone for a while."

Curling into the younger man's chest, Parker nodded. "Yeah." She said trying to reassure herself.

Eliot was a jumble of emotions. Anger, uncertainty, the nightmare of the gun battle in the warehouse, the smells, the sounds, Hardison and Sophie's censure, Nate's challenge … The only quiet spot in the chaos inside his head was Parker's quiet acceptance. Her unquestioning belief in him was all that was holding his alpha wolf at bay. So he ran.

The rangers that worked at the _Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge_ knew him so allowed him access to the wildest parts of the Refuge. It was where he went to exorcise his demons when he couldn't get to Grandfather. The pull toward Scotland rode him hard. Though he'd cut the familial bond with his sister, time spent with his Clan, especially the children, their trust and innocence ... Their belief in their Uncle Elyat soothed the raw places in his soul.

Then there was Parker. The girl needed to be around other Fae. She needed time to sort out her Court and Talent. Where there was Parker there was Hardison. The human hacker had wheedled his way into Eliot's heart as sure as Parker, but the boy was as skittish as a Moors pony so as much as the alpha in Eliot wanted to dominate the pair, the best he could do at the moment was ride herd on the team and try not grab Nate and shake him until his brain rattled.

His body finally gave in to his exhaustion, and the pale colored wolf found an outcropping hidden from view. A nearby stream, gave him a place to stretch out, bring down his body temperature and rinse the mud from his fur. His thoughts remained chaotic, the nightmare images of Moreau and the shootout with his men at the warehouse were pushed to the background as the mage/shifter began to feel Parker's anxiety over his disappearance. Shaking the water free from his fur, he started the trip back to Boston.

Worn down physically and emotionally, Eliot couldn't wait to leave San Lorenzo. The plan was for the team to scatter for six weeks to allow Hardison and _The Italian_ to clean up the messes left dangling from bringing down Damien Moreau.

Two weeks after he split from the group at Logan Airport, Eliot was finalizing his travel plans to Scotland when his phone spit out Hardison's ringtone. Answering, Eliot is surprised by the breathlessness in the hacker's voice.

"Man, you have got to get here. Oxygen deprivation has put Nate on the crazy train, and I am freezing off my man bits."

"What are talking about, Hoss? We were supposed to scatter for six weeks." Anger made the retrieval specialist's voice bitter.

"I know, E … I know, but some mountain climber's widow came to Nate with a way to take down John Drexel. You know how he gets a hard on for Tony Stark wannabes."

"Tony who?"

"Tony … Never mind. You're such a Philistine … Never read a comic book in your life." The hacker muttered. "I'm sending your travel information ... Now. We're on Mt. Kibari in Alaska. Bring your warmest fur. It has not stopped snowing or blowing in two days."

"Dammit." Eliot growled.

"I tried … Parker tried, hell even Sophie tried when Nate called her in the middle of some audition, but nothin' doin'. I guess he figures all that Irish whiskey acts like anti-freeze."

"Fine. I'll be there as soon as I can 'cause only the Gods know what Nate will concoct if we don't slow him down. He'll end up getting y'all killed."

"Just get here man, I'm already half a Popsicle."

There was no more thoughts of returning to his ancestral home for as soon as they were off the mountain, Nate took off on a tear and the jobs didn't slow down until Eliot was badly beaten protecting young Molly Connell from her Russian kidnappers.

Eliot grinned to himself at the dark expressions on Parker and Hardison's faces when his friend, _'Nurse'_ Gail came for him. Shifting wouldn't take care of his deeper wounds, and he was too exhausted to expend the magical energy to heal himself, so he called Gail. Her magical talent lay in the healing arts, and she was a trusted friend. A part of him hoped they cared enough for him to ask about the beautiful mage, but when they didn't call out to him, he let Gail pass enough energy through her hug to get him to her car.

With every job, Nate seemed to be pushing them to be faster, more creative, and sometimes with Eliot and Parker ... More ruthless. Hardison's being buried alive had pushed Parker over the line where she barely let the hacker out of her sight. Eliot drew them into a cocoon of magical protection, and for three days the trio was never far from one another. Then Parker had gone roof hopping and Hardison had spent the night with **_World of Warcraft_** , and Eliot's bubble had burst into reality.

The enforcer pulled back into himself and let the two couples evolve. Hardison's disregard for the trauma Eliot suffered in the Dustmen's psychological experiments drove home the fact he was the odd man out. He didn't relax again until they brought their counterparts in to help take down Latimer and Dubenich. Quinn was a fellow shifter, a beta to Eliot's alpha ... Who helped ease his self-imposed isolation. If Eliot had pulled the trigger on Dubenich, he knew Quinn would help clean up the body and never question his actions. Shame Sophie hadn't stayed inside until the deed was done. The sharp look Eliot gave her backed the Reynard woman up, and warned her to never step in the middle of his business again. It was Eliot's job to protect his team despite their tender sensibilities.

Watching Latimer and Dubenich go over the edge of the dam loosened the knot of anxiety that had settled under Eliot's ribs. It would be a while if ever before the team would have to worry about the two men. By then the team would be scattered and settled in new lives.

Parker watched the two most important men in her life. The weird feeling she got in her chest she felt when she was around them was new and disconcerting, but after Sophie explained about her pesky emotions that were connected to sex and love, the thief had a better handle on what was happening.

She thought things were going rather well between the three of them until Alec got buried by the crooked morticians causing a meltdown on her part. When Eliot had hugged their hacker, too, all was right in the world from Parker's crooked perspective until Eliot started backing away. Her hand itched to smack Hardison hard when he got caught up in the college boy-Dustmen con and complained about his lack of sleep while his fraternity brothers tortured Eliot. The hacker had tried to apologize, but Eliot had waved it away and disappeared. Parker hadn't discovered where he went, but there was a lot of places in Oregon for a shape shifter to disappear.

Catching Eliot watching when she wasn't aware made her wonder what he was seeing. It made her wonder if she was finally getting her wings, but Eliot was the only one who could see them, and why couldn't she see them, if that was the case. Mostly it the was the sad look in his eyes when he watched her that made Parker worry that one day she'd come into **_The Brew Pub_** to find him gone.

Alec Hardison had never been so content. He had his computers, his Nana was in good health … Still going strong, and he fell deeper in love with Parker every day. It took Parker throwing his 'homework' in his face to make him realize how deeply he'd gone native. It was a heady feeling being one of the 'cool kids', but hearing Eliot's teeth chattering from the cold was the slap in the face that got him back on track. When Eliot pulled back from everyone, Alec wracked his brain how to make it up to the enforcer.

Hardison had begged Parker to help him get back in Eliot's good graces, but she'd given him an incredulous glare.

"Are you nuts? I really like you, and the sex is really good, but I'm not getting in the middle of you guys. He's just starting to teach me the good stuff."

"Woman, we're supposed to be a team."

"Yeah. A team of you, me, and Eliot 'cause Nate is getting ready to fly and Sophie will go with him." The hacker blinked at Parker. "What? Nate's not drinking as much, and Sophie's been making cow eyes at him ever since San Lorenzo."

"But …"

"Don't sweat it. You just have to get back on Eliot's good side … Speaking of which, he's making lunch. See ya."

Hardison continued to gape as Parker skipped out into the restaurant. He was so screwed.

Everyone thought Hardison was aggravated because he had to work with Chaos, but Parker gave him a knowing look even as she introduced 'her young man' to Archie. When Archie claimed her as his daughter, Parker was so excited she could have flown to Portland without an airplane.

Alec pulled Parker to the side once Archie was settled.

"Have you heard from Eliot?"

"Was he supposed to call me?"

"He left to find Quinn and hasn't come back yet."

"Did you find something that says we should be worried?"

"No, but …"

"Eliot's fine … He's never late … So why are you worried?" Dark blue eyes narrowed speculatively.

"Eliot should have been here by now … Like you said, he's never late."

"He and Quinn have a lot in common. He's a Hitter and a shifter …" Parker twirled across the cavern.

"Woman, quit. Quinn worked for Sterling." Hardison started after the thief until he heard Chaos' nasal whining cut through the room.

When he looked up he saw Quinn and Eliot standing shoulder to shoulder.

"How do you put up with this?" Quinn asked.

"They grow on you." Eliot grumbled as he glared at the mouthy hacker that wasn't 'his' mouthy hacker.

"So does fungus." Quinn quipped.

"Speaking of fungus, I make this great …"

Eliot's voice trailed off as the two retrieval specialists disappeared around the corner.

"Eliot cooks for him?" Hardison sounded indignant.

With a shrug, Parker snatched the hacker's gummy frogs as she went to find Archie.

"Hey, now!" He called after her. "No respect 'round here at all." Hardison grinned as he pulled another package out of his computer bag.

Then frowned when he turned to see Chaos grinning.

"Sure I can't have Parker dressed up like Uhura from the **_Star Trek_** reboot?"

"You do know Parker's insane, right?"

"I like living dangerously."

"You do know Archie's the closest thing she has to a daddy?"

"That old man?"

"You know Eliot will pull your lungs out your nose."

"What do you need me to use my chaos fu to get around the trap they set for you?" Chaos' voice was quiet.

Hardison sighed and sat down at his computer, and wondered what Eliot and Quinn were doing.

"Your sister was asking about you." Quinn tossed his duffle on the bed.

"How're the kids?"

"Wanting to know when their Uncle Elyat's coming to visit."

"It won't be long, now 'til I have time."

"Just you?" Quinn's grin was mischievous.

"Probably." Eliot turned away from the beta shifter.

"Eliot?"

"Moreau came back to bite me in the ass."

"Heard about that. Nice piece of work, but nasty business."

"Parker's the only one that got it, but she'll go with Hardison."

"The boy finally pulled his head out of his ass?"

"Yeah, but I'm lower than a snake's belly in his eyes."

"Let me know when you're going to be there, and I'll drop by for a run." Quinn offered a backhanded support to the alpha.

"Thanks, Man."

Quinn turned to respond but the older man had slipped from the room.

It was deep in the night and the cavern was quiet when Parker went looking for Hardison. The thief found her hacker still pecking at his computer.

"You sleeping tonight?" She trailed her fingertips over his shoulders.

"What? ... Oh … Yeah … Just clearing up some lose ends." He answered absentmindedly.

"I think you've cleaned up enough." She tugged his collar.

Alec started to argue until he saw her expression. He gave an irritated huff, but pushed back from the table. He tucked the blonde under his arm and let her lead the way to where they were sleeping. Hardison felt his body winding down as strolled through the tunnels. He paused at the first room, but Parker kept moving causing a tug on his belt. Turning his head to scold her, he saw something out of the corner or his eye. Focusing he saw a sable colored wolf wrapped around their silver wolf.

"Eliot …"

"Is doing what he always does." Parker tug on his belt was starting to make things uncomfortable for the hacker. "Time to sleep ... Everything else can wait."

Hardison was still sputtering his indignation when they disappeared into an empty room.

"You'll protect them?" Sophie whispered in Eliot's ear as she hugged the retrieval specialist.

Eliot pulled back and gave the Reynard a wistful smile. "With my dying breath."

Sophie dropped his hands and moved to Nate's side.

"Keep in touch." Nate pushed out past the lump in his throat.

"Always." Hardison beamed at the mastermind.

Hardison and Eliot stepped closer to Parker as Nate and Sophie sent them tearful smiles on their way out the door.

"What's first on the agenda now that we're on our own?" Hardison asked as he tried to hide his tears.

"I've got the supper shift then an early flight." Eliot said as he moved toward the stairs.

"You're leaving?" Parker sounded shaky.

"We got no jobs on the books, we need to find a new place 'cause Portland is blown, and Hardison has only begun to geek out over the _Black Book_ so I'm going to see Grandfather then my sister."

"You're right. I don't like Sterling knowing where we live." Parker perked up.

"Keep after Geek Boy to pack things up. Let Amy run _The Pub_." He suggested as they watched Hardison mumbling at his computer.

Standing at the trunk of Hardison's car outside Departures door, the trio had an awkward moment until Parker pulled Eliot into a tight hug before shyly kissing his cheek.

"Stay safe." He whispered when she pulled back.

"Can you?" Her eyes flickered to the side and back.

"Starting to … They're going to be beautiful."

Before Eliot could step away, long arms pulled him in for a hug.

"It won't take long to close shop, and I just know Clan Eliot will have the most kickass Internet connection in Scotland."

"Try to stay out of trouble." Eliot admonished.

"Why's Parker smiling like that?" The hacker asked. "It's a little scary ... Even to me."

Eliot gave the younger man one last hug.

"Her wings are becoming visible."

Hardison looked at the blonde Fae trying to see. When he turned back Eliot was gone.

Parker stood in the room behind _The Brew Pub_ that no longer looked like her home, but looked like any other restaurant office. All their equipment and Alec's computers had been shipped to Eliot's house outside of Annapolis, Maryland. It was almost time to head to airport, but they wanted to take one last look. There was a lot of good memories here, but Hardison stuck his head in the door, and the blonde realized it wasn't the place that made the memories. With a manic grin, she bounced over to join the hacker for the next leg of their adventure.

The couple stretched out the kinks from the international flight into Edinburgh. Traveling first class made it better, but for two people used to being active it was still hard. They stayed quiet until they cleared customs. As their phones connected, the screens lit up with missed calls and messages. Inside the car that was waiting in short term parking, Hardison dove into the messages. Parker got them on the road to Liddesale, but felt a stab of panic when she saw Alec's face take on a gray pallor.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked quietly.

"It's Eliot." The hacker stared at his phone.

"Hardison! What about Eliot?" She demanded.

"There was an attack … He … There was … It's bad." He looked over at Parker. "Remember … Remember when we stole the orphanage? He warned us about the Chechens and you stabbed that gun runner, Petrovic?"

Parker nodded, but her eyes got big as her attention went between Hardison and the road.

"Petrovic and Irina did an enemy of my enemy con with the Chechens. When they found out Eliot was in Scotland, they tried to take his niece and nephew to hold for ransom. It was a blood bath of mages and shifters had not seen in decades as they collected a few rogues that wanted to take down The Gwydion in the confusion."

Silence filled the car as they completed the trip to the modern Hermitage. Quinn met them at the door, bandages on his forehead and arms, the shifter was holding his ribs.

"Eliot's been moved to his house."

"Is he okay?" Parker asked.

"No, but there's nothing else they can do at the clinic and Eliot didn't want to take a space that someone else could use. Seamus and Rhiannon held the house while we hunted the grounds. There were some others at the refuge that helped, but the family took the brunt. I gotta tell you ... When Eliot and Rhiannon team up it's awesome and damn scary."

Quinn drove giving Parker and Hardison time to look over the churned up ground and people cleaning up property damage and moving bodies. They saw a man with dark red hair towering over people in uniforms walking across the grounds.

"That's Seamus, _The Gywdion_."

"Eliot's brother-in-law?"

"Yeah."

"Two alphas in the same place works?" Parker asked.

Quinn gave Hardison a wink. "Nice wings." He said to Parker.

"What? … I mean … Really?"

"Your people really don't have wings, but they create these illusions because people expect Fae to have wings."

"Why?" Parker asked.

"Preconceived notions." Quinn shrugged as he pulled up to a house that looked like it was centuries old. They pulled their bags out of the back and followed the enforcer into the house.

"Hey Spencer, I found your strays." Quinn called out.

"Thanks, Man. How's clean-up going?"

"Seamus is handling the cops, and your sister's cracking the whip on everyone else. So take a breather. We got away with no casualties because you took out their mage." Quinn gave Eliot a hard glare.

Eliot frowned when Parker poked his back.

"Parker! Stop!" Eliot growled.

Parker poked again ... His ribs this time. She was having trouble finding a place that didn't have a bandage. "Quinn sees my wings." She poked the one she saw under his shirt.

Hardison sat down on the other side of Eliot.

"You weren't supposed to get in trouble without us."

"We're supposed to have each others back. Nate said so." Parker poked again.

Quinn smiled as he started to slipped out the door. He could leave Eliot now that the family was there to help him heal ... Or so he thought until Eliot frowned at the beta.

"Later, Brother." Garnered Quinn another frown. Looked like Eliot was more serious than he thought. He was going to have to give serious thoughts to where he wanted his relationship with the alpha to go.

"Where's the bed?" Hardison asked.

"Yours …"

"No. Your bed." Parker corrected.

"I found it!" The hacker called from up the stairs.

"Let's go." Parker tugged Eliot off the couch.

"But …"

"Jet lag … Sleep now … Yell later."

Careful of the places with bandages under his t-shirt and sweats, Parker maneuvered the cranky hitter up the steps. Hardison had the bed turned down, and was pulling their sleep clothes out of their bags. The younger couple got Eliot wedged between them and pinned to the mattress before they dropped off to sleep.

"There's no food in the house." Hardison complained the next morning.

The hacker and thief had stripped the retrieval specialist and gently cared for his wounds. He allowed their ministrations until Hardison started to get antsy.

"There's plenty of food in the house, but we can go up to the big house for breakfast." Eliot gave him a light slap on the back of the head.

"Let's go." Parker jumped up on Hardison's back and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Woman." The younger man complained even as he grinned.

They walked to the main house at Eliot's pace where they met Seamus and Rhiannon for the first time. The Laird and his Lady made them feel at home to the point where Parker was checking out the nooks and crannies of the manor house while waiting for Cook to announce breakfast. Maeve and her older brother, Eirnin were thrilled to see their Uncle Elyat. When they'd been banned from seeing him after the battle, they feared the worse.

Parker nearly floated to the breakfast table when Maeve called her 'Aunt Parker', and after breakfast they all stood at the patio wall watching the ground crew continue the clean-up. Parker sat on the wall while Eliot stretched out on a chaise, and Hardison sat beside her, arm wrapped around her waist. She felt Hardison's hand fluttering close to her back.

"They're beautiful." She heard his awe filled whisper.

Parker's smile lit her face like the sun. She finally had it all. A purpose, a family that loved her, and her wings.

~ Fini ~


	3. The Christmas Present Job

Eliot Spencer stretched languidly in the middle of his king-sized bed. He felt a twinge in his chest at the emptiness of the bed, but was glad to be back in his own territory.

Their Thanksgiving dinner marked _Leverage International's_ second anniversary without Nate and Sophie, and an extended visit by Eliot's sister and her family. The elimination of another company from the _Black Book_ was the icing on the cake.

Slipping out into the frosty December dawn, Eliot shifted from gray sweats to silver fur in the time it took to blink, and set off to out run his melancholy. Spirits lifted and assured his territory's border was secure, he returned home.

Parker watched out the window of her and Alec's suite, encompassing the top floor of Eliot's historic farmhouse. She smiled when she saw the silver wolf trotting toward the entrance to his suite. That meant she had time to give Hardison a workout before breakfast. With a devilish glint in dark blue eyes, the blonde Fae slipped back under the covers.

Showered and dressed, Eliot began assembling ingredients for breakfast. While his hands worked, Eliot thought about the changes in his life since Nate and Sophie sailed off into the sunset.

~}}}~~~

Not comfortable with Sterling knowing not only where their office was located, but also where they lived, Eliot convinced Parker and Hardison to move. He suggested staying at his _Farm Sanctuary,_ a few miles outside Annapolis, Maryland, while they investigated their possibilities. Slipping information on a building he owned situated across from the Maryland State House into Hardison's search, Eliot sat back and waited.

While they were busy setting up their new offices in Annapolis, Sheena and Davin had moved into the farm manager's house, and settled Eliot into their former suite that was once been the 1830's farmhouse's out-kitchen. When informed of the move, Eliot withdrew behind a wall of silence until Sheena told him she was pregnant, so they needed more room. The retrievalist's face thawed into a wide smile.

This was 14-month-old, Iona LaFae's first Christmas where her joy and awe infected the adults in the household. They were also run ragged making sure everything was out of curious toddler reach. If last year was a foretelling, Eliot expected Parker to be out of her mind decorating. Parker considered it job to teach Iona, her little sister, all about Christmas. She thought of it as repaying Sheena and Davin for teaching the thief what it meant to be Fae.

It had been an instinctive reaction when Parker first manifested any of her Fae abilities. Hardison had missed a guard during one of their jobs. Alec had yelled for her to get out, but she had nowhere to go. When the guard came around the corner, Parker had disappeared off the cameras. She was still working on using the ability when she wasn't in a panic. Sheena explained all _Aos Sí_ could summon a feth feadh _(cloak of concealment)_. The thief merely needed to practice until it became second nature.

The team had thought her mechanical aptitude was something she learned during her stint as a car thief, but it turned out to be another innate talent. When Parker declared, she must be a _Tinkerbell_ Fae, Sheena exchanged a look with Davin. Eliot growled as the thief twirled through the kitchen. That a Fae child would compare herself to a _Disney_ character made the Elder Fae want to track down Parker's parents and smack them into a past life.

Sheena and Davin were members of the Seelie Summer Court, but were beginning to suspect Parker's parents were one of the couples that crossed Court lines ... Perhaps a Summer and an Autumn. That would explain her being solitary, and the possibility that her parents' deaths had not been an accident … Though they only shared that thought with Eliot.

A few days after Eliot's sister, Rhiannon and her family had arrived for their first Christmas together since Rhianna left Oklahoma for her adept training in Scotland … Sheena talked with the mage about finding a teacher for Parker. She was worried because whoever mentored Parker was going to be challenged because of her age and distrust of strangers. The thief had been solitary all her life, but created a family group with Eliot and Alec. As the two men had already discovered, it made Parker fascinating and scary all bundled in a highly intelligent young woman.

That thought led her mind to Walter Black Dog … Surrogate parent to Eliot and Rhiannon … Walter was a Guardian. He'd helped Eliot with his shifter and mage abilities when Eliot's brother-in-law, Seamus, chased him from his adept studies in Scotland because he feared Alpha Eliot, would issue a challenge for Lairdship of the Elliot Clan. An added bonus was Parker loved the Elder Guardian. It was time the Elder came to visit his adopted children. With a smile, she made travel arrangements before dialing Walter's number.

~}}}~~~

Parker lifted her head from examining a box of Christmas decorations Eliot and Hardison brought out of storage. Eliot had made it clear the farmhouse was her home, and to do whatever she wanted with the decorations.

She had been so excited about having a home, and learning how to be _Aos Sí_ , she'd almost lost touch with her boys. Hardison took Parker seriously when she'd told him their relationship wasn't going to be normal. The past two years had matured the hacker without dampening his geekiness. He had stepped up to carry the burden of keeping Parker grounded until she found her feet both as a mastermind in a relationship, and as Fae. They both thanked all the Powers everyday they had Eliot supporting them both.

Now, it was Eliot worrying both Parker and Hardison. As absorbed as Alec was with their new home, offices, and Parker … Even he noticed they were only seeing the shifter/mage at work or meals. When they questioned Sheena or Davin, the Fae caretakers informed them that they weren't to be knowing Himself's business. Seeing the mulish expression on the youngsters' faces, Sheena unbent enough to remind them that Eliot was the Lead Hunter for _The Gwydion_.

" _Elyat_ has others he can call upon if he needs assistance for his Rogue hunts." Davin assured them.

On several occasions, the couple had been surprised to find Quinn sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee when they came down for breakfast. The last time had been on Thanksgiving. Watching the thief at Eliot's traditional dinner, Hardison saw that crazy light in Parker's eyes that made him want to hide out at the office as she watched the two retrieval specialists.

"Woman, you can't go gettin' in Eliot's private business." Hardison insisted.

"We're family. Of course, we can." Parker insisted. "Everyone has somebody. Shouldn't Eliot have someone, too?" She pouted.

Hardison knew he couldn't win, but he had to try. He really, really, didn't want Eliot to stop cooking for them. Sheena was good, but their hitter was better.

"Eliot is perfectly capable of finding a date."

"I don't want him to date … I want him to be like us."

"You realize he can't just go out with normal people?" Alec wanted to bite his tongue the minute the words left his mouth.

"What's that supposed to mean?" A storm gathered in the dark blue eyes.

Feeling the temperature in the room dropping gave the hacker a whole new meaning for _getting the cold shoulder_.

"What's wrong with not normal people?"

"Nothin', Baby, but Eliot needs someone special … Like you … Except furrier."

"Quinn."

"What?"

"Quinn is furrier. Remember when he worked with the us, but not us? Quinn curled up with Eliot when they shifted to their wolf skin." Parker's eyes lit up.

"What if Quinn has someone?" Alec was glad the room was getting warmer. He was going to have to warn Eliot.

She glared at Hardison … Then glared at his computer.

"What!?" Alec didn't like what he thought she was thinking. She flapped her hands in a typing motion.

"Type. Find out."

"You do realize how dangerous it is to go poking into the business of two of the world's nastiest retrieval specialists?" Hardison tried to reason.

"Pfff, silly. They won't hurt us."

"Human, here, Mama. He might stop feeding me."

"Sheena won't let that happen."

The hacker hung his head in defeat. He didn't know why he kept trying to win these arguments with Parker. Logic and physical peril just didn't work on her. He started to type.

~}}}~~~

It was tradition at _Leverage,_ in all its carnations, to not work from Halloween until New Year's, so Eliot invited his sister, Rhiannon, and her family to the _Farm_ for the holidays. Maeva and Eirnin were enamored with toddler, Iona, easing the worries of their parents. Parker dragged Hardison away from his electronics to help her decorate and play with the kids … Eliot was glad to have all his family close for the holidays. In the midst of planning his Christmas menus, Eliot's phone sang out Quinn's ringtone.

"Talk."

 _'I need The Elyat here ten minutes ago.'_ An out of breath Quinn panted into his phone. Sharp ears listened to the background sounds.

"What's up? You okay?"

 _'Safe for the moment. Someone watched Hansel and Gretel too many times.'_

"I'm your huckleberry. Let me warn Sheena."

He found Sheena on the patio watching the children play in the fallen leaves.

"I have to leave." He was blunt.

"Now?" She frowned.

"Now. We may have extra visitors for the dinner. I left a shopping list that takes that in consideration. Take care of everyone. I'm not sure how long this will take, but shouldn't be later than Monday."

"Ye ne'er have to worry. Davin and I'll keep yer hearth warm." She gave him a quick hug. "Ye be takin' care of yerself … Both of you."

"Always." He gave her a peck on the cheek before disappearing into his workshop.

Gearing up for enemies mundane and _Old Race_ , Eliot touched the silver pendant that rested over his heart while reciting a teleportation spell. Sheena wasn't surprised when Rhiannon appeared on the patio.

"What's happened?" She asked the Fae.

"Himself's not be tellin' me his business other than we may have extra guests about Monday."

"Typical." Rhiannon snorted as she watched the children.

"Tuesday be a Full Moon." Sheena dropped that tidbit.

"Damn."

"Aye." Pale green eyes turned to the mage. "Black Dog be arrivin' this afternoon."

Rhiannon frowned at the petite woman. She had not seen the Elder Guardian since she left the United States for her adept training. She was grateful for Walter becoming their Guardian after the death of their parents, and he had not been shy with his opinions when she didn't embrace the shape shifting and shamanistic gifts from her Cherokee father.

The Elder had also not been shy with his disapproval when Eliot left his adept schooling because of Seamus' fear that the younger Alpha wanted his place as _The Gwydion_. Rhiannon carried her own guilt over that, and using her baby brother's retrieval specialist skills to enrich the depleted coffers of Clan Elliot increased the size of that guilt.

With a sigh, she gathered her children to clean up for lunch, and mentally prepared herself for spending time with the man Eliot considered his Grandfather. Rhiannon was sure the old man would have a lot to say about her actions toward her younger brother after she married the Laird of the Elliot Clan, but she was the Lady of Clan and a Spencer … There would be no more dodging the long-delayed reunion.

~}}}~~~

The hair on the back of his neck stood on end from the magickal energy that appeared next to his resting place. In between breaths, Eliot was there. The two men rested against each other as Eliot's senses settled.

"Sit-rep."

"Remember when you came looking for me to take your place against that Dubenich dude?"

"Yeah. The warlock you retrieved the Winter Court athame for … I took him out when I found out how he was going to use the athame."

"Seems someone on the clean-up crew may have got greedy and sold his grimoire."

"Dammit. I hate terminatin' people off the Cleaners. Replacin' them's a bitch." Eliot sighed. "I take it you found the grimoire."

"Who knew warlocks had groupies." Quinn handed him a sheaf of paper.

"I wasn't able to grab the grimoire because the one that takes care of the kids came up the stairs, but this was stuck inside. Seemed Kaskin was researching the Blood Moon ritual they used as a plot device in _Hansel and Gretel_. He wanted to know if there was fact in the fiction."

Eliot cursed in several different languages as he read through the dead warlock's writings Quinn had snatched.

"The Blood Moon was last month, and the next one's not 'til February."

"Yeah. Maybe this group thinks any full moon would do."

How many kids?"

"Six so far."

"I think there would have been _Amber Alerts_ squawkin' from every TV and radio station if six kids disappeared."

"I don't know if it was by intention or design, but the kids are all Old Races." Quinn rubbed his tired eyes.

"This just keeps gettin' better." Eliot grumbled. "All that's missin' is a troll."

"Nope. Didn't find one of those." Quinn's grin was unrepentant.

"Ass."

"Your ass." Quinn smirked.

"So where are the kids, and where are the idiots?" Eliot pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Three are scouting for more kids. The other two are inside. I'm guessin' they're keepin' them in the basement since I didn't see any kids when I was inside, but I could hear and smell them."

"At least one of them must have some talent. I can feel wards … Not strong ones, but they're there." He looked at the shifter. "How do you see this playin' out? Do we try talkin', or move straight to eliminatin' the problem?" Brown eyes went wide. _The Elyat_ was asking _his_ opinion. "Quinn … You're a strong Beta. A smart, experienced hunter, and the one I call when I need someone at my back. You're the one that's been working this job."

Swallowing to wet his suddenly dry mouth, Quinn gave his Alpha a sheepish smile.

"I'll be the muscle, you handle the magick users." His smile was wide in his dusty face. "Can you get us through the wards without settin' off the alarms? I think I saw an outside door to the basement. Then we can wait for the other three, and be home in time for dinner."

"I'll call the Cleaners to be on standby, and let Seamus know he needs to be doin' an internal investigation. I'll be taking care of any arcane items this time."

An hour later everyone was teleported into place. Staying out of line of sight to the cabin's windows, Eliot approached the wards around the cabin. Studying the energy for a few minutes, he reached out and opened a door through the wards without a ripple of alarm.

Quinn headed for the basement door while Eliot slipped around to the back door. Before the men could make an entrance, the sound of a vehicle approaching the cabin had Eliot cast a glamour hiding them from sight. They waited and watched.

~}}}~~~

Seamus stared at his phone even though the call had ended. He looked across the room to where his wife worked with their children. He shook his head at the blessings and chaos that the Spencer siblings had brought into his life. The blessings of the love of his mate and their children, that never should have existed because Rhiannon was an adept class mage. The chaos of Eliot Spencer … The man who relinquished his adept training when Seamus' fear of his Alpha brother-in-law usurping his position, drove the younger man away. Eventually Eliot had returned to take on the position of Lead Hunter for _The Gwydion._ With this latest trouble, _The Elyat_ had shone the light on trouble within _The Gwydion's_ own organization … Another debt he owed the younger Alpha. Shaking his head, he called his brother, Anson, to have his Beta start an investigation.

~}}}~~~

Eliot rolled his eyes at the three women that spilled out of the mini-van. His first thought was Stevie Nicks had a yard sale. They were taking the whole wicked witch thing way over the top. All that was missing were pointed hats. Seeing the two children lying limp in the arms of the women caused a sub-vocal growl from both shifters.

It was another twenty minutes before everyone was settled. The women sat around the table discussing where to find the final four children when Eliot slipped in the back door.

"Evenin', Ladies." He drawled.

"Who the Hell are you, and how'd you get in here?" A slim grey-haired woman jumped to her feet to confront the intruder.

"My name's not important, at the moment. What's important is the nasty rumors I've been hearing about this place."

"Busybodies that can't tolerate those who are different." Her tone became sweet. "How were you able to approach the house. We had a few safeguards in place to alert us of trespassers."

"Hmm … Didn't notice." He did see the purloined grimoire beside the woman's left hand. "Interestin' choice of readin' materials. A friend of mine had the same book disappear from his home." Eliot tuned his hearing to Quinn's movements in the basement.

"Who are you?!" A blonde barely out of her teens jumped up.

"Ashley!" The elder hissed. "Mind your manners."

"Sorry." She sank back in her chair.

"I purchased the book from a supposedly reputable book dealer. I had no way of knowing it was stolen." She practically purred. "If you would allow me to complete my research, I will be more than happy to return the book to its rightful owner, and give you the name of the seller."

"I'm afraid that's not going to be possible, ma'am." Eliot straightened as he noticed her beginning to gather energy. "After looking into those rumors, and seeing that particular book in your possession, I should probably tell you who I am." His smile was nasty.

"Why would who you are matter? This is private property, you have no authority here." A brunette to the elder's left snapped.

"Because …" He paused until he had everyone's attention. "I am _The Elyat_. I am the Lead Hunter for _The Gwydion_."

Eliot watched their reaction to the titles. Four faces looked confused. The anger in their leader's face told him she knew what the titles meant.

"You won't ruin this!" She threw the energy she gathered.

Easily catching the energy, Eliot gave the woman a nasty smile before returning the energy she sent. The more amplified and condensed energy struck her third eye, causing the witch to drop to the floor … Unconscious.

"Y'all put your hands behind your back, and you won't end up like your lackwit leader." Eliot drawled.

All five women were soon restrained with zip ties and a touch of magick to make sure they couldn't release each other. Gathering the grimoire and several other items, he shoved them in the pockets of his vest. He found the door to the basement, and hurried down the steps to check on Quinn progress with the kids.

"Quinn?" He called out quietly.

"Eliot! The locks are spelled." He sounded frustrated.

The shifters could smell the fear coming from the imprisoned children.

"Okay, everybody … This is my Alpha Eliot. He's one of the good guys and knows how to do the magick to open your cages." Quinn tried to reassure the children.

"Hey there. Give me a minute, and we'll get you some place safe." He soothed before turning to his Beta. "The ladies are taken care of so we have time. Bring in the Cleaners." He moved to study the locks.

Watching his Alpha for a minute with a soft smile on his face, Quinn climbed the stairs to oversee the clean-up crew, and ease one burden off the shoulders of _The Elyat_.

~}}}~~~

Rhiannon and Parker ran from the house to meet Sheena and Davin coming from their home with Iona strapped to Davin's chest. Seamus and Hardison followed the magick users, curious about why they ran from the house. _The Gwydion_ prepared to shift if there proved to be danger. He was sure Eliot would kill him if something happened to the family while he had the watch.

They watched as figures began to appear in a cloud of blue/white energy. When the light cleared … Eliot and Quinn stood with eight children hanging on them like spider monkeys. Parker and Alec stood transfixed, but when Rhiannon and Sheena started forward, the children pressed closer to their rescuers.

"Everybody stop." Eliot growled. "Y'all's a little overwhelming to the little ones." He squatted down to child level. "This is my family. The pretty lady with hair like a crow's wing is my big sister, Rhiannon. She's a badass mage that won't let anything happen to you. The big homely red-head is her husband, Seamus. Some people call him _The Gwydion._ " That got a gasp from the children. "The pretty red-haired lady with the plain lookin' guy holdin' the pretty little girl, are Sheena and Davin LaFae. The blonde lady with the big eyes is Parker. She just found out she's a Fae, so you might be able to teach her stuff she didn't learn when she was your age, and the goofy lookin' guy next to her is Alec. He's Human, but he's a wizard with anything electronic. Now, are you ready to go inside … Get cleaned up, then we'll have food and hot chocolate while we call your parents … Okay?"

When the kids all nodded. Quinn stepped forward.

"How about all the girls go with Rhiannon, Sheena and Parker. The boys can hang with us. I'm sure all these grownup mages can whip up clothes to fit y'all." He looked between Rhiannon and Eliot.

Eliot looked down when someone tugged on his jeans.

"Marsh?"

"This your house Mr. El?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, then." He gathered the three other boys to him. "We're ready." He looked up at Quinn.

"Alrighty then. Use your shower?" He looked at Eliot.

Eliot nodded as he handed the toddler to Sheena. The women gathered up the five girls.

"We'll be in the mud room shower. Parker gather some towels."

"Oh … Me." The thief still looked shell shocked. "Okay. Hardison! Help Quinn." She smacked the hacker on the arm.

"Yeah … Towels … Right." He followed the blonde into the house.

"Iona and Maeve should have some things we can use or resize. I've got some stuff that should work for the boys." Eliot moved to follow the others. "Rhiannon … the kids are Fae and shifters. You need to put out a call … See who answers. Seamus … Davin, after baths you can see what information you can get from the kids while I put supper together. Hardison can help with any computer stuff you need."

Seamus stared at his wife and Davin after Eliot disappeared into one of the outbuildings. The two laughed at the befuddled Clan Leader.

"What was that?"

"Eliot on a mission." Davin chuckled.

"Thank the Gods he didn't accept my challenge. I wouldn't have stood a chance." Seamus grumbled as his wife laughed.

"Usually he's in your territory. Here, you're in his." Rhiannon reminded. "Guess we better get busy before he comes back and wants to know why we're standing around flapping our gums."

Before following the men into the house, Rhiannon wove a spell into the aether to follow the connections the children had to their parents. It was turning out to be a very interesting holiday with her brother.

~}}}~~~

Dinner was simple soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, though with Eliot there was nothing _simple_ about either. Tables and chairs were pushed to the edges of the thick carpet in the living room where sleeping mats, quilts and pillows were spread across the floor. Four shifter cubs were curled up with two Fae, a Morlock, and a Zenko Kitsune. In the middle of the mix were Iona, Maeve and Eirnan.

It was into that chaos Davin brought Walter Black Dog. Davin had headed to the Baltimore Washington airport to pick up the Guardian as soon as the last child was bathed and clothed. Parker, Hardison, and Eliot greeted the Elder before returning to trying to get the children settled for the night.

Sheena moved in to show Black Dog to his room. The Elder freshened up while going in search of coffee and an explanation. He'd gotten his coffee, and some concoction of Eliot's to ease his hunger when Seamus' phone began to ring, and the children were up and chattering once again. It took another hour before the phone calls stopped and all the children had talked to their parents … All but the Kitsune kit. No one had yet to call after the small girl that clung to Eliot like a spider monkey.

"Hardison, can you find where they snatched Kukiko?" The hacker settled on the couch next to Eliot.

"I can find anybody." Alec grinned at the little girl. "Name?"

"Kukiko Tani. She remembers traveling a long time on an airplane. They drove to a big white house where they met her Uncle Kin and a woman she didn't know, but her mother and father were very happy. She slept three times. During the last time, she went to sleep there were loud noises, and the brunette witch grabbed her, then they drove in the car until it was daytime."

The adults in the room stared at Eliot. "What? She thinks I'm like her Uncle Kin … except I have very distinct eyes." The hitter ducked his head.

The adults laughed as the excitement of talking to their parents wore off, and exhaustion had the kids curling up in their makeshift beds. Calloused fingers ran soothingly across Eliot's nape as Quinn followed Sheena to the kitchen for the next round of refreshments. He didn't see the wide eyes of the team's thief watching his actions. By the time, Quinn and Sheena returned to the living room, Hardison was ready for show and tell.

"Ayaka and Masa Tani flew into Reagan International three weeks ago." Pictures of the family's passports appeared. "Kin Tani works at the Japanese Embassy in the cultural affairs office. The Tanis met Kin, and his fiancé, Gen Hayata …" More pictures appeared. "At the Embassy before they checked into ..." Another picture. "The Embassy Row Hotel. The fourth day of their stay, the couple was attacked and their daughter disappeared. The reason there's no _Amber Alert_ is because the Embassy wants to keep it on the down low since Kukiko is Old Races. Her parents are being discharged from the hospital tomorrow."

Seamus Elliot watched dumbfounded at what he was seeing. This was the first time he truly saw and understood what it took to be _The Gwydion's_ Lead Hunter. Part of him was horrified at how easily Alec Hardison cut through electronic information to find Kukiko's family … While the other half was happy for her and her parents.

"Were your little crawlers watchin' my phone when I went after Quinn?" Eliot arched an eyebrow at the younger man.

"I wouldn't … Have you ever known me …" Hardison stopped stuttering as Eliot continued to glare. "Okay … So maybe I know your phone was some place called Lost River, West Virginia." He tried to look sheepish, but gave Eliot a full smile.

"Yeah … Yeah … You did good … This time." He turned his attention to his brother-in-law. "Seamus, you get a report from the Cleaners with IDs on those women, etc. … etc.?"

Seamus shook himself out of his stupor at the speed things were happening while staring at the nine-tailed fox sleeping on Eliot's lap. He pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"I did, but it's a raw draft."

"If I may?" Alec looked at the Scottish Laird for permission.

"Of course."

"Fix me up something official looking with the facts. That all the children were recovered unharmed and in the custody of _The Gwydion_ and _The Elyat_. Oh, I need a phone number for Kin."

"You got it, El." Eliot turned his attention to Seamus. "I hope you brought your kilt." He snickered.

~}}}~~~

By the time the report was ready for Eliot and Seamus' signature, Eliot was deeply exhausted. He tucked the little fox in her blankets, and turned for his own room to see Quinn and Black Dog watching him from the couch.

"E-du-di _(Grandfather)_ , I'm sorry I haven't properly welcomed you into my home."

"Do not worry yourself, U-l-isi-a-tsu-tsa _(Grandson)_. Your family has welcomed me, and I have enjoyed my time with Parker and the little ones. I was even able to corner your sister for a long overdue reunion. I look forward to meeting her children." The older man chuckled as he hugged the mage/shifter.

"I should be cross with Sheena for not telling me you were coming. I hope you'll be staying for a while."

"It will be my pleasure to spend the end of the year in your home with your family and U-na-li-go-hi _(Mate)_." Black Dog winked at Quinn, who blushed. "Now, it's time for this old man to find his bed. Good night, Boys."

Securing the house, the retrieval specialists headed for their own bed.

~}}}~~~

In the top floor of the historic farmhouse, Parker thought about all the times she had seen Eliot and Quinn together. They had curled together when they lived in the tunnels under Portland … Sophie said Quinn stood with Eliot when he wanted to shoot Dubenich. Quinn called Eliot to help with the kids … She started to slip out of bed … She just wanted to see where Quinn was sleeping when there was a tug on her shirt.

"Go to sleep, Parker. You'll piss Eliot off if you wake the kids." Hardison grumbled.

"But …"

"Sleep."

"You're no fun."

"I don't want a pissed off Eliot making my Christmas goodies."

"I think we should steal Quinn, and give him to Eliot for Christmas."

"Woman, you can't give someone a person for Christmas."

"But … Sheena gave us Walter for Christmas."

"Not the same. Figure out another present. Quinn's pack might not like you stealing one of their members."

"What if he wants us to steal him?"

"Parker …"

"What?"

"Sleep."

"But …"

"Just invite the man to stay for the Christmas."

"That's no fun."

"It's Quinn."

"Sneaky wolf … Check."

~}}}~~~

Eliot came awake fast when he couldn't move his legs. Opening his eyes just enough to look through the screen of his lashes, he saw the three Fae, two wolf cubs, a lynx, cougar, and fox kit sprawled between him and Quinn, and across their legs. That the little rascals hadn't disturbed their sleep spoke to the depth of their exhaustion. Slipping out of bed, he grabbed a shower in the mud room so his charges would continue to sleep, then headed for the kitchen.

Breakfast was a rowdy affair served buffet style with Eliot wearing Kukiko around his shoulders like a fox stole. When he sat down to eat, she shifted and sat on his lap. Iona, Maeve, and Eirnan were thrilled with their new playmates.

Leaving breakfast clean-up to the rest of the family, Eliot took Kukiko to his office, and called the number Hardison had found for her Uncle Kin. After explaining who he was and how he came to have Kukiko, he let the four-year-old talk to her uncle and parents. By the time they ended the call, they had made arrangements to meet Kukiko's parents and uncle the next afternoon. Business taken care of, Eliot and his fox collar headed out to join the others.

~}}}~~~

Quinn was about to smack Hardison just so Parker would have something else to occupy her time. She moved between playing with the children to appearing under his nose and scaring the crap out of him. It was to the point where he was about to tell Eliot he was going to a hotel.

"Parker!" He ground out. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure you feel included so you'll stay here for the Christmas."

"Why didn't you just say that instead of jumping out at me like a demented quail?"

"Oh. Okay. Now you can't leave until after New Year's."

"I what?" His voice started to raise.

"Walter's here. You have to stay, too." She bounced back over to the kids.

"Told you she ain't right." A warm voice tickled his ear.

"What's she up to?"

"I think she's trying to steal you."

"Steal me?"

"I think you're my Christmas present."

"But …"

"They don't know about us."

"Well, Hell."

Eliot's chuckle was nasty as he shifted into wolf form and joined in the fun.

~}}}~~~

Eliot and Sheena had finished setting up a dinner buffet when parents started arriving. Since the _Farm_ was set up as a sanctuary, and all the children were of the Old Races, Eliot had no qualms with their parents coming to pick them up. As _The Gwydion_ and his Lady, Seamus and Rhiannon were kept busy by their roles as Council leaders until everyone was gone except Kukiko.

The next day, Quinn caught a ride to Washington with Eliot, Seamus, and Kukiko. He needed to get back to his client, and collect his fee. He had some hard truths for the wealthy father of the little blonde witch that had gotten in over her head.

With Seamus in full regalia, and Kukiko wrapped in his tartan to protect her from the heavy mist falling in the Nation's capital, _The Gwydion_ and _The Elyat_ presented themselves at the gates of the Japanese Embassy at 2pm. They were led into a comfortable meeting room where a couple still, showing signs of their assault, waited with another man they assumed to be Uncle Kin.

Setting the little girl on her feet, Eliot warned her to be careful with her parents. Hugging Eliot-san's neck tightly, she ran to her mother. Waiting for the reunion to calm down, Eliot and Seamus explained what happened after Kukiko was taken. By the end of their meeting, the Tanis had the contact information for the _Farm_ should they want to make use of the sanctuary.

The men were ambushed by Parker as soon as they stepped through the door.

"Where's Quinn?"

Seamus dodged around the blonde, leaving Eliot to her tender mercies. Eliot muscled past her to the kitchen.

"He had to collect his payday."

"Is he coming back?"

Eliot shrugged as he put the kettle on for tea.

"He's a big boy. He knows he's always welcome, or was there some other reason he was supposed to come back?" He fought not to grin.

"No reason. I just thought he was spending Christmas with us."

"I guess if his schedule clears … He might be here."

"We could steal him." She sounded hopeful.

"You can't interfere with a man's livelihood, Parker. He good at what he does, but he doesn't have a Hardison to take care of his money like we do. Why are you so concerned about Quinn?"

"No reason. It's Christmas, and we're family."

"I'm sure he'll do the best he can to be here. He may have his own family to visit for Christmas. Don't you have some more decorations to find. I'm sure Walter would be glad to help."

"Good idea." Parker skipped into the main part of the house. "WALTER!" She shouted.

Black Dog moved out of the pantry.

"You are an evil man, Eliot Spencer." He chuckled.

"I have to keep her occupied somehow while we're not working. A bored Parker is a dangerous Parker." Eliot savored his tea. "You can take the back stairs so she won't know you were hiding from her in the pantry."

Eliot settled in the sunroom with his pot of tea and book. Sheena and Rhiannon were responsible for dinner, and he intended to relax for a few hours.

"You've made yourself a real family." Rhiannon said as she plopped Maeve in his lap. "Watch your niece while I help Sheena. I think Maeve and Iona were jealous of your little fox."

Eliot chuckled as the toddler grabbed his pendant.

"It was probably because only Quinn and I spoke Japanese."

Rhiannon bit her lip as her expression turned serious.

"Eliot … "

"We can't change the past, Sis. Don't tie yourself in knots over it … I don't. I could have said, _No_." He turned back to the little girl, who was definitely her mother's daughter. "You're family's welcome in my home anytime … Anywhere."

She knew her brother would never say no to his family, so she kissed him on the cheek before escaping to the kitchen.

~}}}~~~

"Did you find him?"

"Find who?"

"Quinn."

"Was I supposed to looking for Quinn?"

"I need to know where to steal him from so he'll be here for Christmas."

"I'm not tracking down a man that can hurt me in new and inventive ways because you can't figure out what to get Eliot for Christmas. Besides, I thought we were only getting gifts for the kids."

"They were easy. I want Eliot to not be alone."

Hardison chuckled.

"What's funny about Eliot being alone." The air around him started to heat.

"Nothin', Parker. You're just doin' somethin' normal folks do."

"Oh?" The heat stopped.

"Yeah. You're in a relationship, and now you want everyone around you to be in one, too."

"If you won't find Quinn, at least tell him he needs to be home before Christmas."

"He probably has a home pack that's not us." Looking around for something to change the subject, he noticed for all the decorations around the house, there was no tree. "When are we gettin' the tree?"

"Eliot says we're going to decorate the tree on Christmas Eve after the kids go to bed."

"I don't see any stockings on the fireplace." He watched out the corner of his eye for Parker's reaction.

"Oh. We've never had a fireplace before except the one in that ugly house you had in Los Angeles with some of the toilets ripped out." She rushed from the room. Just as Alec relaxed, she ran back in. "We need a Yule Log."

"I'm sure Eliot has all that under control."

"Of course, he does." Parker giggled as she ran up the stairs. "Walter!" She shouted as she got to the second floor.

Alec went back to the project he was working on for _The Elyat._ When Eliot discovered someone on the Cleaners crews was selling artifacts and arcane objects they confiscated after the Hunters killed or captured whatever Rogue they were hunting, he asked him to run checks on everyone … Hunters and Cleaners included.

Remembering hard learned lessons of the past, Alec made sure to dig as far as back as far as possible. With the Old Races it was a challenge since they were so long lived, and tended to change identities every 50 or 60 years. It helped that Eliot gave him the known aliases for both groups.

While his webcrawlers did their work, he went looking for whatever Sheena made for lunch. Catching movement outside, he saw Parker and Walter stop to grab up Iona and Eirnan on their way to the storage shed. Alec felt like his chest would burst with his feelings as he watched Parker's patience with the children.

Some days it bothered him that everyone around him would still be going strong long after age took its toll on his body, but on days like this, he wouldn't trade his family of Old Races members for anything. Shaking loose of his thoughts, he collected his lunch, and headed back to the office.

Looking for something to occupy his time while he waited for the searches and finished his lunch, Hardison was surprised when a window popped up followed rapidly by two more. The hacker quickly separated out the three people while the searches continued on the others. By noon the next day, Alec called Eliot and Seamus into the office and closed the door. He handed the men the files as he got ready to run his presentation.

"I ran all the ID's Eliot gave me for all the Hunters and Cleaners. Three fell out. Hunter Jae Min, Korean Autumn Court Fae, Cleaner Zacari Okar, hyena shifter from Benin, and Jake George, American coyote shifter." Three pictures appeared on the LCD screen on the wall. "All three have accounts in the Caymans with some very hefty deposits that coincide with reported disappearances of certain objects." He flashed up bank statements. "I believe Jake George was the person that sold the grimoire Eliot took off the witches. Their current locations are included in their files."

Eliot closed the file he was reading.

"I'll make some calls, and try to get this cleaned up before the end of the year." He looked at Seamus. "I'll try and make it back for Christmas." He stood with the files.

"Eliot." Seamus' quiet word made the enforcer pause. "I promised my wife Christmas with her brother. I love my wife dearly … She also scares the crap out of me when she gets her back up so to keep my home life peaceful, we'll be handing this information over to Anson. As the Clan's Beta, he can handle this chore."

Eliot studied his brother-in-law for a moment before he nodded his agreement.

"Give Hardison the contact information and he'll forward everything to Scotland."

"Good. This is the first vacation Rhiannon and I have had in ages, and I intend to relax and enjoy every minute until we get back to Newcastleton. Besides, this is your time to enjoy with your family."

"Thanks, Man. It means a lot."

"After all you've done for the Elliot Clan, it's the least I can do. Now, go spoil your niece and nephew while Alec and I finish up this nasty business." Seamus' soft brogue convinced his Lead Hunter.

Giving a brief salute, to the two men … Then a glare at Hardison to behave, Eliot left the office.

"Let me say _Thanks_ , too, Man. Eliot spends so much time taking care of us, he doesn't always remember to take care of himself." Hardison ducked his head. "How do I get a hold of this Anson guy?" He grinned at the Eliot Laird.

~}}}~~~

Parker was at her wits end. Christmas was two hours old, the kids were asleep, the tree was decorated, the adults were getting ready to scatter to their respective beds for a few hours sleep before the excitement of Christmas had the three kids awake with the _Farm's_ rooster. She still didn't have a gift for Eliot. Alec hadn't been able to find any electronic footprints for Quinn.

"Parker, go to sleep." Alec coaxed.

"But …"

"It'll work out."

"Not the way I planned." Her bottom lip wobbled as dark blue eyes filled.

Pulling her against his chest, Hardison tried to comfort his thief.

"Ah Mama … You know a plan doesn't always work out the way we want, but it works out. Besides, this Christmas is about bein' with family and the kids … Plus Eliot's Christmas dinner." He placed a kiss on her creased forehead.

"I guess."

"That's my favorite Christmas Fairie." The hacker purred as he pulled her up on his chest.

Resting her ear against his chest, Parker let the beloved heartbeat lull her into to sleep.

~}}}~~~

For all the insulation in the walls and floors of the old farmhouse, Parker sat straight up in the bed when Eirnan yelled for his parents to get up. Before dashing into the bathroom, Parker rolled Hardison out on the floor to make sure the hacker was awake.

"Woman, what's wrong with you?" Alec grumbled. "Just got to sleep … Ain't no need to abusin' a man like that …"

He continued to grumble as headed for the bathroom. Nearly run over by Parker running to the closet, the hacker finally made it to bathroom. Barely getting the pants of his 'Christmas outfit' pulled up before Parker was tugging him down the stairs at a breakneck pace. They were almost to the bottom of the staircase when the young couple heard the kids yelling, _'Uncle Quinn!'_.

Coming through the door of the sitting room, Parker saw her second favorite hitter on the couch leaning against her favorite hitter.

"You came!" She landed in his lap.

"Umph … Damn Parker, warn a guy." He hugged the slim thief. "Hardison." He acknowledged the hacker.

"Good to see ya, Man." He grinned at Parker's antics.

"That's no fun." Parker launched herself at Eliot for a drive-by hug. "I was going to steal him for you, but you beat me to it." She whispered, being sensitive to his enhanced hearing.

"Go have fun. I've got something special for later." Eliot hugged her back.

She bounced into the middle of the kids as they sat in front of the tree transfixed as they waited for the adults to get settled. Starting with the stockings hanging on the mantle, Parker and the three children soon had colorful paper, shiny bows and ribbon flying through the air as gifts were opened.

~}}}~~~

It was a Christmas day like Parker heard about from normal families. Gifts and sweets … Yule logs and mistletoe … Eggnog, wassail and hot chocolate … Too much food, a light dusting of snow on the ground … Skype calls with Archie, Nate and Sophie … Perfect.

Lying on the parlor floor enjoying the fire and the twinkling tree, she rested her head on Hardison's stomach. Quinn was stretched out on the couch reading from his tablet when footsteps in the hall made the three sit up. Sheena and Davin brought the three children and Black Dog into the room.

The Laird and Lady of Clan Elliot, attired in the traditional dress of the Clan, entered the parlor followed by Eliot. The hitter stood quiet while Seamus directed Parker, Hardison and Quinn to be seated on the couch.

"Eliot came to me earlier in the year to request a boon from _The Gwydion_. As my Lead Hunter, he requested to start an offshoot of the Elliot pack in the United States. He wanted his family under _The Gwydion's_ protection should anything happen to him." His face took on a soft expression as he watched the wide-eyed expressions looking at each other. His brogue drew their attention back to him. "I granted Eliot's request for his long and arduous services not only to _The Gwydion_ , but also to Clan Elliot."

He turned to his wife, who stepped up to her brother with a leather wrapped bundle and five gift boxes.

"The day before we left Scotland, the documentation came from Council." Handing him the bundle, she continued. "Inside is a charter for the _Leverage Pack_ under the leadership of Clan Alpha Eliot Spencer. Also, as an official member of Clan Elliot by service and blood, the Laird and I present you with an Elliot Clan ancient style tartan."

She kissed him on the cheek while she handed him five wrapped boxes. Seamus clasped his brother-in-law's forearm in a warrior's salute before pulling the smaller man into a hug. Offering Rhiannon his arm, the couple moved to stand with Sheena and Davin, relieving Sheena of Maeve's weight. Picking up two of the boxes, Eliot turned to the trio on the couch.

"We've been together, more or less, for seven years … Hell, I know marriages that don't last that long …" He handed a box to Parker and Hardison. "If you would like to be included in the _Leverage Pack_ , I need you keep these on you at all times. As long as you have it with you, I'll always be able to track you." He paused when he heard Parker gasp.

"You got me a yellow diamond … How'd you know I didn't have one?" She looked at him with big eyes. "Who's Parker Bho Na? It says I belong to you."

"You don't belong to me … You're with Hardison. That means you're a member of my pack. You're Parker Bho Na. It means Parker of the Fae. The diamond is spelled so I can always find you, and it's embedded in the metal so it won't fall out."

Before he got the last word out, Parker was hanging around his neck.

" **OH YEAH, Sparky!** I'll be in the pack." She looked at Hardison. "I have a pack."

"Looks like I do too, Lil' Mama." He grinned at his partners.

"Your stone's a piece of meteorite."

Hardison peeled Parker away to get his own hug.

"Thanks, Brother … Best Christmas present ever … Except for … " He motioned toward Parker.

He handed Sheena and Davin each a box.

"I know y'all got your Courts, and all that … But you've been here …"

"We'd be honored, _Elyat_." The both replied. Followed by hugs and arm clasps.

One box was left, which he handed to Quinn … Then stepped back to wait. Quinn studied the Dominican blue amber pendant, that swirled with the color of his eyes, for a long time before he picked it up to read the back. Standing, he approached his Alpha.

"I'm your huckleberry." He pulled Eliot in for a kiss.

 _~ Fini ~_


	4. The Folded Flag Job

**Characters/Pairings:** Eliot Spencer/Quinn; Alec Hardison/Parker; Anthony DiNozzo; Jethro Gibbs; Owen Granger; Tom Morrow; Jennifer Shepard, Tim McGee; Catlin Todd; Vice Admiral A.J. Chegwidden; Harmon Rabb; Original characters

 **Summary:** In the war on terrorism there was formed a very special task force with members belonging to the Old Races. When someone starts killing wolf shifters who serve our country, _The Primus_ of North American calls on old friend to investigate.

Unlocking the door to his and Quinn's ground floor rooms, Eliot sent an energy pulse of thanks Sheena for turning on lights throughout the big house. He was a little irritated with himself for letting the empty feeling permeating the historic farmhouse bother him. He'd been alone most of his adult life and had accepted that was way of things due to his role as _The Elyat_ , Chief Enforcer for _The Gwydion_ , Head of the International Council, in charge of oversight for the Old Races, and world renown Retrieval Specialist.

In the last eight years he'd gained a Pack and a Mate. Things had been quiet at the office for the last three months. Two members of his Pack, Parker and Alec Hardison, were in Oklahoma, with Walter Black Dog, the Guardian who raised Eliot and his sister, Rhiannon. Walter was mentoring Parker in the use of her Fae abilities. He and Quinn had done a few retrievals, and pulled several small jobs that the two men could handle without a bigger crew. Seamus had called Eliot two days ago about the murder of an American sailors in Sweden and Germany. Eliot sent his Beta to investigate the deaths since both sailors were wolf shifter.

Maybe he'd go for a run, let his wolf hunt instead of cooking for himself. After getting used to cooking for his Pack, it was a bother to cook for one. Letting the decision about supper hang, he headed for the kitchen to fix a pot of tea and check the mail. Hearing a crash in the family room, Eliot sauntered down the hall with his mug. With the magical wards he and Sheena had set around the house and property, only a family member would be able to use teleportation spells to get in the house. He'd ask Hardison what he thought of being Parker's guinea pig, except he could hear the young Human berating his lover at a very shrill volume.

"How was your trip?" Eliot smirked at the couple.

"Great!" Parker flung herself at the Mage/shifter. Balancing his tea mug, Eliot caught her as she wrapped her legs around his waist. "Walter says 'Hi!', and sent you a bunch of stuff." She gave him a smacking kiss on the cheek before letting go to watch Alec trying to gather himself off the floor.

"How far did she 'port you?" Eliot reached a hand out to the Hacker.

"From the airport. She didn't want to call you, rent a car or ride the shuttle." He grabbed the calloused hand to lever himself off the floor. "Where's Quinn?" He pulled Eliot in for a quick 'bro' hug.

"Checking into a couple odd death in Sweden, for the Council."

"We got any clients that need quick actions?"

"No, but there's something in the air …" Eliot paused as though listening. "Get unpacked, and I'll see what I can rustle up for supper."

Over supper, Parker prattled on about her lessons, Walter, and Hardison living 'in the wilderness' with dirt, wild animals, and his non-existent allergies.

"It was worse than running handcuffed through the woods with Eliot. At least I knew that wouldn't last forever. I wasn't too sure about being at Walter's. Parker liked it way too much." Alec grumbled.

"I had to hear Walter's stories." Parker insisted.

"Have you heard from Archie, lately?" Eliot interrupted the couple getting each other wound up.

"Yeah. They invited me and Hardison to Thanksgiving dinner."

"You going?"

"Is it okay. What about you and Quinn?"

"We'll be here with Sheena, Davin, and Iona, or maybe we'll go to Scotland."

"Okay then." Parker bobbed her head as if there were other people around the table. Knowing Parker … There might be.

By the time Eliot settled into his empty bed, his shifter side was mostly settled with part of his clan back under his protection. He sent a tendril of energy to his Mate, and when he got a positive response, he closed his eyes.

When Eliot went for his morning boundary run, he stopped when he saw the sedan sitting at the head of the drive. Stalking through the pre-dawn shadows, Eliot approached the car, and focused his senses. Inside the car were two Naval officers, one with binoculars waiting to see the lights come on in the house. As Eliot ran back to the house, he wondered which of his friends was dead.

~~}~~

Showering, and starting the coffee pot before turning on the lights, Eliot mentally prepared himself for what was to come. Not wanting to wake Parker and Alec, Eliot opened the door before they could ring the bell.

"Didn't mean to startle you, my sister and her partner got in late, and I don't want to wake them." Eliot listened to their formal announcement of the death of his friend, Commander Christopher Fike, a wolf shifter with whom he'd worked on the mixed teams under Colonel Vance and developed a deep friendship. Eliot had been thinking of asking him to join the _Leverage Pack_. "Let's go back to the kitchen, have a cup of coffee, and you can give me the details." After everyone was settled, Eliot asked what happened to his friend.

Commander Frank Walten wondered about the man sitting across from him and his partner, Lieutenant Marcia Popilek. He held a security clearance high enough to be told the details of the Commander's death, though he didn't have many.

"Where's Chris' body?" Eliot asked.

"NCIS morgue since it's believed he was murdered."

"Thank you both very much. You can leave your file with me. I'll call when I need you to make funeral arrangements."

"But …"

"Commander, I don't wish to step on your toes, but do you know who I am?"

"Eliot Spencer, I can't read most of your file because it's above my clearance level. Member of the Old Races."

"Have you heard of _The Elyat?_ "

"Head Enforcer, International Council of the Old Races." The Lieutenant recited.

Eliot pulled out a badge and ID that confirmed his position. "I will be taking over this case. Who do I need to see at NCIS?"

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Lead Agent of MCRT."

"Thank you. Do I need to call your CO to keep you out of trouble?"

"We're good, Sir."

Once the Casualty Officers were gone, Eliot settled in his office with his phone and computer. After making several calls, he called the number that should have called him as soon as he found out about Christopher.

" _Morrow."_

"Why did I have to hear from the Casualty Officers about Chris? That call should have come from _The Primus._ "

" _Eliot?"_

"Yeah. What the hell is going on with the Old Races in the Navy, and why do I have to get a call from _The Gwydion_ to find out we're losing wolf shifters?" He rapid fired the questions to the leader of the North American Old Races.

" _You were going to be my first call this morning."_

"Why is a Human team investigating Old Races?"

" _It's MCRT. DiNozzo is Gibbs' second."_

"There's no way they can handle an investigation not knowing the victims were wolf shifters. Old Races teams should have the case."

" _DiNozzo is Old Races and has clearance."_

Eliot rolled his eyes. "Good. DiNozzo can join my team when we get to NCIS. Send me his file."

" _Now just a damn minute, Eliot." Morrow started to work up a head of steam. "This is a North America case."_

"Not anymore. I've got a man out on an investigation in Sweden. I'll have my team there a half hour after you open the doors. I expect all your information. Why did you let NCIS have your case?"

" _They got there before we did."_

"And …"

" _Gibbs doesn't play well with others, and he doesn't share his cases."_

"It never should have been his case." Eliot insisted. "How far up the ladder do I need to go to get what I need? Isn't it about time for _The Primus_ to step up for his people, or have you become too much of a political creature?"

Sensitive ears picked up the sigh that indicated, he'd won his point. _"Come by my office, and I'll have the paperwork to get the evidence and the body."_

"If you've lost the stones for _The Primus_ position, step down. Our people don't deserve second rate representation."

Eliot cut the call, and took a deep breath to get a hold of his temper. As much as he wanted to let Parker and Hardison sleep, he needed to get them up to speed.

~~}~~

Tom Morrow rubbed his hands over his face. He knew the minute he let Leroy Jethro Gibbs run over him on Fike's case it would come back to bite him in the ass. The Unit Chief of his Old Races terrorism task force, Retired Admiral A. J. Chegwidden had warned him. Even though Fike was Navy, he was also a wolf shifter, and that designation always precluded the military. Since he was going to have to be both _Primus_ and the Principal Deputy Undersecretary of Intelligence and Analysis for Homeland Security, he might as well get to the office.

Anthony DiNozzo sat quietly in the middle of the storm taking place in the MCRT bullpen. The Director had just informed them _The Primus_ of _The North America Council of Old Races_ was sending an investigative team to take over the Commander Fike case. She'd told Tony that he would be acting as the NCIS liaison to the Homeland Old Races terrorism task force during the investigation. The Senior Field Agent stared at the Director.

Balboa gave him a wink over the partition. The Kelpie had been encouraging Tony to quit, transfer, or change agencies to get away from MCRT. Ever since Catlin Todd and Tim McGee had joined the team, Tony's work environment had gone downhill. The only reason members of the Old Races continued to work for NCIS was because of the large numbers that served in the military.

"Why me?" Tony asked, afraid Morrow may have outed him as Old Races. As a Mage, there was no physical indication he was anything but Human. Over the years, Gibbs had always rejected agents for the MCRT that weren't Human.

Tony's attention was brought back to the present at the sound of Kate's voice.

"Why does Tony get to stay on the case?"

"Security clearance." Gibbs offered.

"As a Presidential Secret Service Agent I had …"

"Not high enough for this." Gibbs growled.

"Agent DiNozzo does work with many of our sister agencies that require a higher clearance." The Director spoke slowly as if addressing a child.

Before anymore could be said, the elevator door opened allowing two men and one woman to exit. The aura of power that surrounded the shorter man, marked him as the leader, and caused everyone to look up as they headed straight for the Director.

~~}~~

"Who was at the door." Parker shuffled through the kitchen rubbing her head.

"Someone with a message for me."

"No message that comes when you're sleeping is good." She plucked a fortune cookie out of the bowl sitting on the table.

"Chris Fike was killed. I'm in charge of his estate."

With a deep frown, Parker cracked her fortune cookie remembering the gray wolf that always had time for her questions. "Are we doing something about it?"

"Yeah, and we don't even have to scam our way in. Get Alec out of bed, and I'll do a briefing. We have to go to Washington and deal with Homeland Security and NCIS, so dress accordingly."

"Cool. Do I get a badge?"

"Sure do. It's even real."

So excited about the getting a badge, Parker teleported to their suite on the top floor of the house. Smiling, Eliot set up for their briefing.

 **~~}~~**

Morrow was waiting for them in the lobby to quickly get them through security. Once they were signed in, he took them to a subfloor three levels under the parking garage.

"This is where we house our terrorism unit. Unit Chief, A. J. Chegwidden, his present SIC, Captain Aife O'Haver, and the rest of the investigators … Lieutenant Commander Patrick Myers, Lieutenant Zoe Williams. All members of the Old Races. We use specialists from Little Creek when we need bodies in the field. Everyone, this is the investigative team from the International Council. _The Elyat,_ Eliot Spencer, his SIC, Quinn is in Sweden investigating a case similar to Chris'. The rest of his team, Parker, and tech expert, Alec Hardison."

The two teams exchanged hellos and handshakes. Eliot arched an eyebrow at Parker.

"What?" He continued to stare. "You're no fun."

"We don't steal from our own unless they're bad."

"Okay." Parker dumped her pile of medals, watches, services rings, and handed Morrow his wallet. They all starred dumbfounded as they reclaimed their possessions.

"We're on our way to NCIS to pick up Chris' body, the files, and evidence. I am also the executor of Chris' estate, and I'll let you know when the arrangements are made for his funeral. On Morrow's recommendation, we'll have Special Agent DiNozzo with us as a liaison to NCIS."

"DiNozzo is a Mage … Post-cog, aura tracker, but hides it from his team mates. Gibbs, for some reason he's never explained, only allows Humans on his team. The situation at NCIS is not ideal for Old Races, but they stay to make sure our people get justice." Chegwidden added.

"Is he Fae like me?" Parker looked excited.

"There's no one like you, Parker." Alec teased.

"Great." Eliot rolled his eyes. "We need one of you to go with us, so we don't have to go through a load of red tape to get back in the building."

"Captain O'Haver will accompany your team." The Admiral gave his SIC a nod.

"Tom." Eliot gave _The Primus_ a glare.

"Here's your paperwork. I'm sure you've done your homework on the MCRT, but their computer tech is good. Gibbs will probably have him keep copies of everything, and try to run a parallel investigation. I've known him to do it in the past when he had to give up a case, or he may have McGee try to hack us to copy our information."

"That's Hardison's gig. In fact, he probably already has any reports they've entered. Tell him where to send them. He'll take care of it. We'll need to know what Chris was doing when he was killed and figure out if he was a victim of convenience or targeted."

The Hacker grinned as he continued to work on his tablet. "Files are in a secure Cloud account. I've forwarded the information to everyone's email. Other than the autopsy and some forensic reports, they don't have much." Hardison looked up to see the DHS team staring. "What?! Eliot didn't give me much time."

Taking the paperwork, he looked at O'Haver who grabbed her cover, and fell in behind Eliot.

"Okay people. Let's get to it." Parker snapped as she followed Eliot. This was turning out to be fun … For being legal.

~~}~~

Everyone froze as on a primal level they recognized the apex predator had entered the room. Tony's tracking senses were pinged as he realized three out of four people on the team were Old Races, and two were magic users. The dark-haired man in the lead handed a bundle of papers to Director Shepard.

"Director … Eliot Spencer, _The Elyat_ of the International Council of Old Races. My team, Parker, Hardison, and O'Haver. We're here for Commander Christopher Fike and all information pertaining to his death, also Agent Anthony DiNozzo." Arms crossed over the broad chest as he waited for the Director to finish reading.

"Agent Spencer, why don't you come to my office, and we can discuss these orders." Director Shepard bared her throat.

Parker rolled her eyes. "Seriously. He's married, lady."

Everyone fought to not laugh as Eliot sighed. "I think we'll dispense with the pleasantries, Director. Give us the files, show us where to pick up the body, and we'll be out of your hair, so you can get on with your day."

"Agent Gibbs, please take care of the formalities, Agent DiNozzo, you'll be TAD to Homeland for the foreseeable future." Director Shepard was red faced as she huffed her way up the stairs.

The Leverage team saw Agent Gibbs exchange a look with the pudgy agent sitting against the partition. Hardison was ghosting McGee's computer to see where the agent put Chris' information. Hardison had left a little surprise for when McGee tried to access the files he copied.

"DiNozzo, take them to Ducky and Abby. Kate get them our hard copies. When finished take your lunch break then cold cases since we're a man down." He grabbed his weapon and badge before heading for the elevator.

"That went smoother than I thought." Aife commented as they went back to the elevator.

Eliot exchanged a look with Tony. "We'll see."

Tony cringed at the blue/grey glare. "I'll show you how to get to the loading bay."

Once backed in the dock, they followed Tony into the morgue.

"Ducky, _The Elyat_ and Captain O'Haver are here for Commander Fike."

"Ah yes. Director Shepard called down to advise us to cooperate fully." He motioned his assistant, over to the drawers. "You are aware that Commander Fike was …"

"The only thing you can tell me about Chris is cause of death." Eliot growled.

Eliot's show of emotion caused everyone to pause. "I see." The medical examiner continued with his work.

"If your next words are going to be you're sorry for my loss … Save it. As a Human you know nothing of my loss. You want help, get me his results so we can get whoever did this."

"Of course. Mr. Palmer, help Anthony get the evidence from Abigail."

"Sure Duck. Come along, Gremlin." Tony forced a smile to help lighten the atmosphere. With their victim having a personal connection to _The Elyat_ , there was no way Gibbs would get away with his usual tricks.

As Eliot and Aife wheeled their friend's body to the van, sensitive ears picked up the sounds of arguing from the direction of the forensics lab. Exchanging a look with O'Haver, she nodded that he could leave her. Silence filled the room when Eliot stepped through the door.

"Agent DiNozzo, is there a problem?" He asked as eyes like the arctic watched the forensic scientist.

"Abby is a bit territorial about cases."

Tony tried to diffuse what he knew could get nasty. Abby had a lot of knowledge about the Old Races and their abilities, but she'd only dealt with the ones that worked for NCIS.

"Gibbs should …"

Eliot cut her off before she got ramped up. "What does Agent Gibbs know about investigating the death of a member of the Old Races?"

"It's just like any case." Abby crossed her arms over her chest and jutted out her chin.

"Is it, now?" Eliot's smile held a lot of sharp teeth. "What does he know about ways to kill a wolf shifter? What do you know about the ways to kill a shifter. What tests can **you** do to indicate how he was killed."

"I keep up with all the latest information in forensics." She pouted.

"So, what did the evidence tell you?"

"Nothing." She looked down.

"What did the autopsy tell you?"

"Nothing, but you didn't …"

"You will continue to find nothing because Human forensics can't detect what killed Chris."

Anger forgotten, Abby brightened up. "What killed him?"

"Above your security clearance. Are we ready, Agent DiNozzo?"

"We are." He and Jimmy picked up the boxes and headed to the van.

Everything loaded, Eliot turned to Tony and handed him a badge wallet. "Morrow thought this would make it easier for you while you're TAD." Tony flipped it open to see a DHS Intelligence badge. "Tell them you're working with Admiral Chegwidden's unit."

"How did you …"

"Wasn't going to out you. There's more to me than my fur coat." He winked at the befuddled agent. "See you there. You might want to hurry. Hardison left a little gift for your geek."

Instead of waiting for the elevator, Tony took the stairs to get his desk cleared before everyone got back from lunch.

~~}~~

Personal effects collected, Tony had made it to the parking lot without meeting any of his former team mates. He huffed out a laugh when he saw Balboa leaning against his Mustang.

"So, what's happening, Brother?"

Tony handed him his new ID. "Good choice. Looks like Morrow doesn't want you to come back when the case is done."

"Yeah. Chegwidden's task force."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. Spencer told me to dust off my abilities. He knew. Said there was more to him than his fur coat. Seems like this case is personal for him. He nearly bit Ducky's head off when Ducky started to go on like he does."

"I'm thinking there's going to some changes coming when _The Elyat_ makes his report to the Council." Balboa smirked. "You might be safer with the Admiral."

"The only Human on Spencer's team is his geek. That Agent Parker sniffed Kate, and told her she smelled funny, and just glared at McGee. I think she might be a bit Fae touched."

"She's not just touched. She is Fae. This is going to be … I don't know. I've hidden so long I don't know how to be my Old Races self."

"Sounds like you're going to get practice." His friend chuckled and slapped him on the shoulder.

Tony settled behind the wheel of his classic Mustang. "Oh, you might want to be somewhere else when Gibbs has McGee pull up the files on the Fike case. Seems their geek probably out-geeked McGee."

"I might just stay and watch." The Kelpie headed for the entrance.

Feeling lighter the further he got from the Navy Yard, Tony was actually looking forward to meeting the people working under Admiral Chegwidden.

~~}~~

Introductions made, Eliot got everyone's attention. "Hardison, did you get hooked up with Quinn?"

"Yeah. Just give me a … There."

The wolf shifter appeared on the screen.

Knowing they were working, Quinn kept it formal. " _Elyat._ "

"Quinn, what do you have for us?"

"I don't have your nose for magic, but one of the investigators here is a Journeyman. She couldn't unravel what was done, but her best guess was his life force was taken after he was rendered unconscious."

"Like a succubus?" Chegwidden asked.

"No. Like it was harvested." Quinn's gave Eliot a questioning look.

"Quinn this is Unit Chief and retired Admiral Chegwidden. His team, Captain Aife O'Haver, Lt. Commander Patrick Myers, Lt. Zoe Williams, and NCIS Agent Tony DiNozzo. Quinn is my SIC."

"Pleasure. I'll send you copies of everything the Swedish investigators have."

"Hardison has a secure Cloud account for everything." Eliot twitched an eyebrow at the hacker.

Translating Eliot-speak, Alec gave his attention to his laptop. "You should be getting an email with a link."

"Thanks, Man."

"Quinn, was your victim a wolf shifter?" Eliot looked up from a message on his phone.

"Yeah. He also worked on a national terrorism task force trying to track any terrorists that slipped in with the refugees."

"I just got a message from _The Gwydion._ There's an Air Force case at Ramstein, and an NCISRU agent from the London office. Seamus' people will handle London, and upload their results to the Cloud, and is sending out a general warning to all wolf shifters. Chris was the latest. I asked him to have Rhiannon check the bodies. He'll call with her results. You need to get yourself back here. Have Rhiannon send you to me. If whatever is making these kills is after wolves specifically, I don't want you taking any chances."

"Will do. Anything you want me to bring you from there."

"No. I'm beginning to get an idea of what we're dealing with, but I need more information."

"I'll see you for breakfast." Quinn leered at his Mate.

"You better." Eliot growled.

"They're so cute." Parker told Hardison in a not so quiet whisper.

Alec gave her an indulgent grin. "I've started working on a list of everything that have wolves as their number one enemy."

"Anyone got any comments or observations?" Chegwidden asked.

"It seems what or whoever our killer is has moved from Sweden to Germany to England to the US." Tony threw out to the agents.

"So, we need to check ports of entry, but who are we looking for?" Zoe asked the newcomers.

"We need the pretty one." Parker elbowed Eliot.

"Which one is the pretty one?" Patrick looked around the conference room.

"Agent DiNozzo …"

"Tony."

"You, Parker and I will head down to the morgue. Since you're a post-cog, we need you to see what you can get off Chris' body."

"But …"

"Parker and I will be there to back you up, add juice to the scene if you need it."

"I don't … I haven't …"

"You are now." Parker gave the tall agent a shove toward the elevator.

"There's a lot of ports of entry on the east coast. We'll get started on phone calls to get access." Aife called after the magic users.

"Put Hardison with your tech people. For a Human, he's a wizard with information." Eliot ordered as the elevator door closed.

"Your team is very strange." Zoe sidled up to the Hacker.

Alec took a step back. "You're a pretty kitty, but I'm allergic to cats. Plus, Parker will freeze my man bits …" He stopped and thought for a moment as the slender black woman watched him. "I don't know … Parker might take a shine to you and drag you back to _The Farm_." Hardison grabbed his tablet. "Now, take me to your geeks." He gave the Lieutenant a wide grin at her confused look.

~~}~~

Eliot stopped inside the doors of the morgue.

"How do you take your coffee, Tony?"

Surprised at being addressed, it took Tony a minute to respond. "There's a shop on the next block over … _La Colombe Coffee Roasters_. Order a DiNozzo special."

Pulling Parker in close, he asked the thief to bring back two coffees apiece, and any kind of muffins or fresh pastries.

"You mean like when you do heavy work?" Her dark blue eyes went wide.

"Exactly."

"Don't start without me." She admonished Eliot. "I'm still learning this stuff, and I don't want to miss anything."

"You know where you're going?" He pulled up a map on his phone.

"Yeah. Saw it on the way here."

"Take your time. I want perfect not fast."

She gave him a mock salute, and a buss on the cheek as she disappeared.

"Fae?" Tony had a bemused look on his face.

"Yeah. She just found out a few years ago. She's a little twisted, but aren't we all." Eliot gave Tony a once over. "How are you doing? I know things have been moving fast, and we sort of drug you from pillar to post this morning."

"Yeah you did. I thought I had an idea of who was what in D.C., but this morning's been quite the education."

"Yeah, well, you're wasted at NCIS. All our people are, but we just can't seem to keep our people out of the Marines and Navy. To have mostly Humans on the major case team is a waste. If you weren't on the team I'd have to wonder how many cold cases were caused by one of us, and they'd never see it."

"Only the other members of the Old Races know I'm not Human. I'm under the radar, including my records. My old man doesn't even know."

"It's hard to know what's going on with your kid when you send him away to boarding school." Eliot arched an eyebrow.

"Turned out for the best. Hard to tell what kind of scam he'd have cooked up."

"Good Grifters are hard to come by." Eliot winked. "Parker should be here about … Now." Tony took a step back as Parker nearly landed on top of him. "It's a work in progress."

"Let's go." Parker's grin was a little off center as she shoved the coffee tray and bag of pastries in Tony's hand. "For after." She took off after Eliot.

"After what?" Tony muttered as he trailed behind.

Chegwidden must have called ahead. The morgue assistant had taken Chris from the drawer, and transferred him to a table. Tony set his burdens down and watched Eliot fight his emotions over his dead friend.

"I'm sorry about your friend." He offered.

"We did some ops together. He used to come out to _The Farm_ to run. His family disowned him after he manifested. The family thought the ability had disappeared when no one manifested for a few generations." Getting a grip on his anger at his friend's death, Eliot got back to business. "Chegwidden says you're a post-cog, so I need you to do your thing. Parker and I are here to supply extra power if you need it and sketch the scene."

"I know you said Parker was Fae, but a shifter wouldn't be able to help me."

"Ain't just a shifter." Eliot thinned his shields.

Tony took a step back. "Okay … I guess you can provide back-up power." He moved to stand by the body. Holding his hands above Chris' chest, he chanted quietly under his breath. As he built layers of energy, a scene began to appear in the air above the table. "It's been long enough that a lot of the death energy has begun dissipating. We'll need to go to the crime scene tomorrow, see if I can pull anything there."

"We've got a male and female, dark hair, swarthy complexion, dark eyes, maybe Middle Eastern or Israeli. Assassins, close emotionally … Lovers … No … Siblings." Eliot muttered to himself as Parker made notes.

"They're both armed." Parker noted.

"Gun and knives on him. Knives on her. "They walked around the table as Tony held the image.

"What's that?" Parker asked pointing at the man's hands.

"Tattoos. It's hard to tell, but looks like their glowing, but are they performing a spell or absorbing energy." They walked around one more time. "You can let go, Tony."

Eliot got ready to prop the taller man up in case the heavy energy drain weakened him. Tony had barely released the spell when Parker was shoving a cup of coffee under his nose. "Drink. Helps the crash."

"Bossy little thing." Tony mumbled as he leaned against Eliot.

"Yep. Masterminds most of our normal jobs."

"Council investigators aren't your day job?" The NCIS agent grabbed a muffin as he moved away from the body.

"No. Usually, cases like these don't come along very often, thank goodness. It's normally a case here or there." Eliot pulled a card out of his wallet. "Come visit _The Farm_ , and we'll talk about our day job."

"It'll be fun." Parker winked as they gathered their snacks, and let the attendant know they were finished with Chris' body.

"She really is a little off center." Tony said from behind his coffee cup.

"You have no idea." Eliot gave her smile as she skipped through the doors with a neon colored donut.

~~}~~

Back upstairs, the DHS team reported on Chris' movements on his last day. He'd been on his way back from JAG where he'd met with Captain Harm Rabb. He stopped at Garfield Park on his way back … He did that sometimes to just take a few minutes at the park to shake off being inside all day. The three members of Chris' team took turns reporting.

"Parker?"

The blonde stepped forward with her sketchpad. "I was only able to get them from the side. The scene didn't show their whole faces." She pouted.

Hardison took the paper. "Not to worry, Tink. A little geek magic, and we'll have something to work with."

He plugged in a handheld scanner and ran it over the page. Ten minutes of manipulation showed a full face for the computer to scan and start facial recognition.

Looking at the time, Eliot shared a look with Chegwidden, who nodded.

"It's been a trying day, so everyone Pack up and head home. We'll start again at in the morning. Facial recognition gives us somewhere to start, so we'll be spending the day looking at security tapes for our perps." The Admiral headed for his office.

"We're at the Eldon Suites." Eliot offered. "Any good places to eat close by?"

The team gave them several recommendations as they locked away paperwork and gathered their belongings.

"We'll check out Garfield Park in the morning, and see if you can get a read on the crime scene."

"You got it." DiNozzo agreed as he tiredly slung his backpack over his shoulder. "I hear my shower and bed calling my name. I forgot how tiring it is to do a post-cog reading."

"Like a muscle, Man. You gotta use it." Eliot admonished.

Tony gave an absent-minded wave as he headed toward the elevators.

~~}~~

Files and Chinese food were scattered across the dining table of their suite. They stopped when Rhiannon's ringtone came from Eliot's pocket. Watching the change of expressions on the Mate/shifter's face told Parker and Hardison Rhiannon hadn't found any new information. It also told them the minute Maeve and Eirnan got on the phone with their uncle.

Before he could relay any information from the call, Eliot's phone rang again. He listened for a few minutes before ending the call with a simple, 'Keep me posted'.

"They're releasing Chris' body Thursday. The service will be at Arlington Saturday afternoon." He paused to down half his beer. "Other than deducing their life forces had been drained, Rhiannon couldn't get a fix on the cause. Not being a post-cog, she can't pull up the scene like DiNozzo."

"What is the 411 on DiNozzo. I mean I read his file … His whole file." Hardison frowned. "He's like a cross between Nate and Sophie with a badge."

"He's been neglecting his abilities because he's on the team of Humans, who have no clue he's a Mage. He's rusty."

"We need him in the Pack. He'd be a perfect Sophie." Parker announced. "Besides, he's pretty, and _Leverage Pack_ ranks are a little thin."

Eliot and Hardison exchanged a look of surprise. Parker rarely took to strangers, especially after knowing them only a few hours.

"We can always invite him to _The Farm_ over the holidays. Get to know each other away from cases and jobs." Eliot suggested.

Parker ran her fingers over her yellow diamond Eliot had given her the previous Christmas. It was a tell she'd developed when she was feeling anxious about one of her ideas. Eliot had given all his Pack members pendants embedded with locator spells.

"Since Chris spent so much time at _The Farm_ , we could invite everyone to the house after the funeral. That way they don't have to be on guard about what they say." Alec suggested.

"We can ask. They might not want to drive out that far." Eliot liked the Hacker's idea of giving Chris' friends a chance to grieve in private.

"This is so cool. We're going to steal a task force." Parker danced across the suite.

~~}~~

Exhausted, Tony dropped his backpack and shoes by the door. Not wanting to stop until everything was in place for the evening, he grabbed a container of penne with meat sauce, slid it in the oven. Dinner taken care of, Tony headed for his bedroom and comfortable clothes.

Feeling the day's tensions beginning to fall away, he pulled a pre-mixed bag of salad out the fridge along with wine and fixings for garlic bread, he puttered a few more minutes in the kitchen before sprawling on the couch to enjoy a glass of wine while he sorted his mail.

Mundane tasks completed, Tony let his mind drift over the events of the day. Things had happened so fast, all he'd been able to do was hold on for the ride. From Morrow snatching him and the case from under Gibbs' nose, and using his rusty abilities as part of looking for clues to Fike's murder … His mind was reeling. Yet, there was a big part of him deeply satisfied he was being recognized for all his abilities.

His dinner detritus washed and put away, Tony headed for his piano. He had a feeling major changes were coming his way, and he wanted to work through how he felt about all the possibilities. The team Morrow and Chegwidden had assembled were a well-rounded group. He'd slotted into the team like he'd always been there. What had really fascinated him was the team from the International Council. Every member of the _Old Races_ knew about _The Elyat_ , but there were no rumors about the Fae and Human. Tony had a feeling Parker's little demonstration of her pickpocket abilities had more to do with thievery than her being Fae. Her blunt observations were astute and unnerving.

Anyone listening to the music coming from the piano would wonder at Tony's thoughts as the pieces ranged from heavy and moody to light-hearted. His phone ringing brought the music to a jangled halt. He considered letting it go to voicemail, but seeing _Gibbs_ on the ID had him straightening his spine before he let call connect.

"DiNozzo."

" _Why didn't you come back to the office?"_

"Why would I do that. I'm TAD to Homeland."

" _So, you come back and share your files. Homeland had no right to take my case."_ The senior agent growled.

"Didn't McGeek make copies?"

" _He said he did, but when he tried to open them, they disappeared."_

"Your next play's usually to have him hack Homeland's database." Tony fought hard to keep from laughing.

" _McGee couldn't get in the files. Made some excuse about Homeland updating their computer security."_

So that's why the Council geek had been smirking all day. "Sorry about McGoo's bad luck."

" _About those files …"_

"Sorry, Gibbs. No can do. With it being one of their own, they're keeping it real buttoned up, and I'm not going to risk my security clearance."

" _That mean you haven't found anything?"_ Gibbs fished.

"Didn't say that. Said I couldn't share. It's been a long day, and I'm going to bed."

" _When are you going to be back at your desk?"_

"No clue. Goodnight, Gibbs."

Because he wanted undisturbed sleep, he turned off his NCIS issued phone. If anyone else wanted him they would call the phone Eliot had given him with his new credentials, or his personal phone. Feeling good about his life for the first time in a while, he settled down for the night.

~~}~~

Gibbs stared at his phone for several minutes contemplating the satisfaction of watching it shatter against the basement wall. The money out of his paycheck to replace said phone was the only thing staying his hand. He knew DiNozzo was a stickler when it came to _need to know_ , but he'd never had it directed at him before. Grumbling under his breath, he pulled the _Ten High_ bourbon bottle off the shelf and filled his mug. Picking up his hand plane, he let his frustration flow into shaping the wood.

Having come to terms with the loss of Commander Fike's murder investigation, Gibbs was in a decent humor when he stepped off the elevator the next morning. After growling Kate and McGee down from their whining about no case and no Tony, the morning took a downhill turn when Director Shepard called all her team leads to the conference room to introduce them to the compliance auditing team from the _International Council for the Old Races._ Balboa was smirking as he followed several grumbling team leads out of the room. He pulled out his phone to send a text.

Hearing a delighted laugh roll across the bullpen, Chegwidden stuck his head out of his office to see what had tickled his agents in the middle of a murder investigation.

"I bow to the deviousness of _The Elyat_." Tony chuckled. "I have been informed by one of the team leads at NCIS that they will be undergoing an audit by the compliance team from the Council." While everyone was busy discussing the implications of an audit, Tony winked at Eliot. "Thanks, Man. I don't know what I'm going to do when the case is closed, but for all the Old Races agents still there … Thanks."

"Just doing what's right, and Parker didn't like the way Shepard smelled."

"You called for an audit because Parker didn't like Jennifer Shepard's perfume?" Lt. Williams sounded incredulous.

"Parker's nose is never wrong." Hardison looked up from his laptop.

"Okay, people … Chop … Chop." Parker barked. "DiNozzo, you're up." She pulled him toward Eliot.

"Easy on the suit. You don't treat Armani like something from _Men's Warehouse_." Tony pouted.

"I don't know what that means." Parker looked at her guys for clarification.

"It means … Don't wrinkle the threads. They cost a lot of money." A voice came from doorway.

"Quinn!" Parker took a flying leap at him that would have landed a Human on the floor.

Quinn simply caught her as she wrapped around him like a pipe cleaner doll. "I'm glad you're back. Eliot's been grumpy since he isn't …" Quinn covered her mouth.

"Hey, Darlin'." Eliot greeted the chestnut-haired man as he hefted Parker over his shoulder to the sound of her delighted squeals. "Everyone this is my SIC, Quinn."

"I'm your huckleberry." Quinn tossed a flash drive to Hardison as he grabbed a kiss from Eliot. The rest of the task force stood with gaping mouths at the antics of the Council team.

"Did you steal me a present before you came home?" Parker asked from her upside-down position before flipping over to her feet.

Handing her a beautifully wrapped box, which she promptly demolished. "For my tree!" She danced through the bullpen holding a sparkling crystal snowflake. She carefully packed it back in the box, which she handed to Alec with a smile.

"I'll keep it safe Lil' Mama." He promised.

That earned him a kiss before she descended on Quinn while Hardison turned his attention back to the flash drive.

"They have got to be the oddest team of law enforcement I've ever seen." Chegwidden commented to Tom Morrow as the Undersecretary wandered into his office.

"You don't know the half of it." Tom muttered. "They get amazing results for all their idiosyncrasies."

"Show and tell, Ladies and Gentlemen." Hardison announced.

Everyone turned to the large screen on the wall.

"Hardison sent me the composite of the couple DiNozzo got from his walk in the past." Quinn narrated. "I got with CCTV footage from the area around the crime scenes and the airport along with the ID's they were travelling under."

"I want to send Tony and Parker to the crime scene. He can do a post-cog looksee while Parker sketches. I'd like O'Haver and Myers to go with them to keep things secure while they're working. I want Williams to work with Hardison on the security footage, and Quinn … We're going to check out the Embassies. See if there's any scuttlebutt about Old Races operatives coming to town. Oh, don't let Parker drive."

Morrow and Chegwidden nodded in agreement until Eliot got the Embassy part. "You can't just …"

"We're discrete. We have a lot of contacts we can call on, but they're very private people." Eliot gave them a wink as he grabbed his jacket. "We'll bring back lunch."

~~}~~

Two men climbed out of a Jeep Renegade parked in Melvin C. Hazen Park. Other than noting their rugged good looks, none of the other walkers, runners, or bird watchers paid them any mind. Two men walked along the trail taking pictures, and talking quietly. One man crossed the street to walk along in front of many of the world's embassies.

Quinn held his phone to his ear recording the sounds coming over Eliot's ear bud. He wasn't sure what shape his Mate was wearing but was glad the electronics Eliot and Hardison had spent weeks developing to withstand his magic and shifting, were working. He listened to the bits and pieces of conversations until he heard something that caught his attention.

"Eliot. Stop. I think we've got something."

He continued to walk along the block because there was no way he was taking the chance of getting detained for standing in front of an embassy. Crossing the street, he put an extra block between himself and the embassies. He wanted nothing to make security suspicious while Eliot was roaming around. Making it back to the protection of the trees in the park, Quinn took a minute to focus on the sounds coming from his earbud. He was about to question the location of his partner when he noticed the large black tom cat winding around his ankles.

"Sneak." He smirked at the cat.

The air shimmered and Eliot was back on two legs. "Did you get any of that?" They headed back to the Jeep.

"Got what there was. Where were you when they were talking about 'finding possible rogues'?"

"I slipped into the Israeli embassy when people were going in and out for their cigarette breaks."

"Recognize anyone?" Eliot nodded as Quinn backed out of his parking space. "What are we taking back for lunch?"

Looking at his phone for a few minutes, Eliot called in an order for several pizzas. "Place called _matchbox_ a block south of DHS."

"You did order ones for real people that aren't food snobs." Quinn gave him a side-eyed look.

"Gods, you're worse than Parker."

"At least I don't eat fortune cookies for breakfast."

"Only reason I kept you, Leannán."

~~}~~

Tony stood outside the crime scene tape looking over the area. Feeling someone behind him, he looked around to see Parker peeking around him.

"Something wrong?"

"Don't like this place."

"Most people don't like the energy that lingers after someone dies."

"I don't care about that. It's whatever killed Chris. It's something my Fae doesn't like. I'm going to miss him." Her voice was small.

Tony made a mental note to check out enemies of the Fae and wolves when they got back to the office. He was jarred out of his thoughts by Parker's strident tone.

"Let's get this show on the road. Eliot's buying lunch and he always brings me the best food."

Aife, Patrick, and Tony made sure the scene was clear before the shifters settled in the most strategic place to watch the entire area while Tony and Parker worked. Grounding and centering himself, Tony began casting his talent across the area inside the crime scene tape.

The energy had begun to dissipate, so it took a few minutes before he got the scene to begin to coalesce into the murder of Commander Christopher Fike. Parker seeing how hard Tony was working to pull the energy into something she could sketch, the Fae moved closer to the Mage in case he needed to use some of her energy.

"How you doing?" Her pencil flew across the page as she worked to capture the scene before it faded.

"If we'd have waited another day I'm not sure we'd have gotten anything. Whatever killed the Commander sucked up a lot of the energy."

"Maybe someone tried to fix it."

"There's no one else's energy overlaying the Commander and his attackers. How much longer. It's getting hard to hold the scene together."

"Done." Parker stared at the picture she'd drawn. "They look alike." She handed the sketchbook to Tony.

"I'd say brother and sister." He waved to Aife and Patrick. "All done. Let's head back to the office. You sure Eliot will get something good for lunch."

"Are you kidding." Parker looked amazed. "Cooking is like Eliot's secret power. Wait 'til you come to _The Farm_ , and he cooks."

" _The Farm_?" Tony exchanged a look with Aife and Patrick.

"Sanctuary outside Annapolis for members of Old Races. Creekfront that runs out to the Bay. Caretakers are Fae. Great couple. I've never met the owner." Aife answered.

"Lots of room to run on two or four legs." Patrick added.

"It's where we live." Parker grinned.

" _The Elyat_ owns _The Farm_?" Patrick looked surprised.

"Yeah. _The Gwydion_ is his brother-in-law. Made the four of us an official Pack." She shoved a befuddled Tony into the backseat.

As they rode back to Homeland, Tony realized how out of touch he was with his real self. He'd gotten so entrenched in the Human world since he'd join MCRT, he'd lost track of the movers and shakers among the Old Races. Sure, everyone knew the titles, but only a few could put faces to those titles. In just two days the information he'd found out was mind boggling. He wondered why Balboa or one of the others at NCIS hadn't told him about Morrow, or the Old Races team at Homeland. He wondered if Morrow being _The Primus_ was the reason the man nagged him to jump ship to Homeland. Maybe he'd call Balboa during lunch.

~~}~~

They arrived back at the office at the same time as Eliot and Quinn, who were each carrying three pizza boxes.

" _Matchbox_. Good choice." Aife noted.

While they ate lunch, everyone traded the information each team had found.

"We found who we think is our couple going through the airports where all our wolf shifters were killed. They used two different sets of ID." Hardison put the pictures and IDs on the big screen. "Even with my tweaks, it's a lot of information to sift through. The personal connection with Commander Fike is making the progress faster in his case. Still looking for their place of origin and real names."

"Try Israeli intelligence." Eliot suggested. "Probably Mossad."

"It's the only recording." Quinn tossed his phone to Hardison.

A.J. came out of his office when he heard the word Mossad. "What about the Mossad?"

"I heard one of the Kidon agents on the phone with Eli David."

"How do you know it was a Kidon?" Zoe asked.

"The way they carry themselves is very distinctive." Eliot glared when Parker and Hardison snickered. "The Israeli embassy conversation should be somewhere around the thirty minute mark. Those new coms worked like a champ."

"Age of the geek, Ba-by." Alec handed the phone back to Quinn.

They cleared away the pizza boxes while the Hacker cued up the recording. Chegwidden settled in a chair next to Captain O'Haver.

"You know those recordings won't be admissible in court." The Unit Chief stated.

"There won't be a trial." Eliot's tone was flat.

"But …" O'Haver started before A.J. reached out to stop her.

"They killed four wolf shifters in four countries. If they survive capture, _The Gwydion_ and the Council's Tribunal will give the order for what's to be done. I don't believe the Israelis will want their dirty laundry out flapping in the wind."

Chegwidden must have signaled Morrow of a problem because he appeared just as Quinn was about to give them a lesson in why they were working with Homeland.

"He's right." Tom backed up Eliot.

As _Primus,_ I asked the Council to send _The Elyat_ and his team. We're included as a convenience to them and a favor to my position with Homeland, and as _Primus_. We will assist, but not interfere with the ruling of the Tribunal."

"If they're truly rogues, I doubt they'll let themselves be taken alive." Quinn quipped. "Depending on how long lived they are, they may not want to serve life in prison."

"The Fae don't like them, and they sucked a lot of energy from the scene. I probably wouldn't have been able to pull anything off the scene if we'd have gone any later." Tony spoke up to divert attention from the Council investigators.

Parker handed her sketchbook to Hardison.

"How do you know about the Fae thing?" Alec looked at Parker.

"It felt icky."

"There was a murder." Patrick tossed in.

"No. This was more like a sign that said, _'We hate Fae'_ type icky."

"Play the recording." Tom ordered.

They sat and listened as the Kidon received his orders from the Mossad Director. They heard him question those orders due to their relation to the Director. They could tell the call was ending, but the agent questioned his boss one more time.

' _No Sir, I have never gone against any of The Gwydion's enforcers ... I understand the implications if anyone finds out you lost control of your assets, and that it would reflect badly on our government … I will begin my search immediately, so that when your team arrives I will have information for them.'_

"How did you get that recording?" Morrow looked directly at Eliot.

The air shimmered. A black tom cat jumped up on the desk and glared at the Homeland team. He jumped down, and with another shimmer, Eliot was back on two legs. "Hardison and I worked on our earwigs until they would shift with me without screwing up the circuitry. It's a combination of magic and electronics. We haven't perfected it for bird forms, yet."

"How many shapes can you shift?" Zoe asked. Working with Hardison had emboldened the young Lieutenant.

"All of them. I'm not _The Elyat_ because Seamus is my brother-in-law." He snapped. When his eyes landed on Tony, the NCIS agent was nearly frozen by the cold expression in his eyes. "What other impressions did you get from the crime scene."

Tony closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "They were rushed, afraid someone would see them. The park will probably have to reseed the grass. They were grabbing energy hard and fast even after Commander Fike had died." As Tony finished, two files flashed up on the screen.

"Ari Haswari and Ziva David. Same father, different mothers, but both Djinn." Hardison recited. "Father, Mossad Director Eli David."

Everyone stared at Eliot's team. "If they're from a strong enough line, they can take Human form, and have societal structures like Humans. Natural enemies of wolves."

"So that's why they targeted wolf shifters. Feed and take out the enemy." Tony suggested.

"Probably."

"Why did they go rogue?" Zoe stared at the screen. "They're highly trained, highly placed in society …"

"Rumors say David craves power. Could be more _Daddy Dearest_ , and less _Father of the year_." Tony quipped.

"So, they go off the reservation leaving a trail of bodies, but trying to cover their tracks by changing IDs." Quinn looked almost pained at the mess the Djinn left behind.

"If they're Mossad, they kind of suck at it." Parker started rooting through the pizza boxes for a snack.

"So how do we find them?" Morrow asked the obvious question.

Everyone looked at Eliot who turned to Tony. "How's your tracking?"

"Rusty. Haven't used it much since I left Baltimore."

"We're about to knock the rust off." Eliot's grin sent a fissure of excitement through Tony's body.

They were going hunting.

~~}~~

A non-descript sedan pulled up to the guard house gate at the Navy yard. A beautiful dark-haired woman smiled at the Marine that stepped up to her car.

"Can I help you, Ma'am?" The guard's partners began checking over the car.

"I hope so. I have information about the murder of Commander Christopher Fike."

The woman's simpering tone set the Marine's instincts on edge. "I'll make a call to find out where you need to go to report your information." The look he exchanged with his partners caused the gate crew to settle around the vehicle.

The woman looked surprised, but forced herself to relax. It would not look good for her to appear anxious.

"Balboa." With most of the Human agents, and all the upper echelon of the D.C. office in meetings and interviews with the Old Races Council's auditors, the Kelpie was the most senior team lead in the office.

"Tell her Commander Fike's case was transferred to the _Old Races Terrorism Task Force_ at Homeland." Hanging up the phone, the senior agent was glad the Director and Gibbs were unavailable for the call. They would have used any information to horn in on _The Elyat's_ investigation, though Balboa had to wonder why the Director was more upset than Gibbs about losing the case and DiNozzo to Homeland.

When the guard informed the woman she needed to go to Homeland Security to report her information, her demeanor became incensed.

The Commander was in the Navy, yes?"

"That's correct."

"Then why is the Naval Criminal Investigative Service not investigating? Shouldn't your Major Case Response Team be on the case? This is what I have been told." She added to try and get the Marines around her car to relax. The attention they were paying to her, and the unraveling of her plan to gain entrance to NCIS was making her nervous. She needed to get away, and regroup. "You have the address for the task force?" She smiled at the guard. Getting the address, she turned around and headed toward downtown.

Director Jennifer Shepard was livid. She hadn't been on the job six weeks, and all her plans were going to Hell in a handbasket. Not only didn't they have the Fike investigation, but the whole agency was under an audit. Feeling her phone vibrate, she answered without thinking. Ziva began a litany of complaints before she could say 'Hello'.

"Director Shepard, are we boring you with these allegations and problems within your agency?" The very proper English accent broke through the haze of the complaints coming through the phone.

Disconnecting the call, she flushed red at being called on the carpet. "Not at all. As the Director, most of my calls cannot be ignored." She justified.

"Considering you could soon not have an agency to be Director of, I would think we would have your total attention. I am sure your agents can handle any case that should arise."

"Of course. It won't happen again." She answered through gritted teeth.

Ziva stared at her phone. Jenny had hung up on her. That was not a good sign. She needed to get back to her brother.

~~}~~

"So, what happened to this foolproof plan of Director Shepard's." Ari gave his sister a sly look. "Don't tell one of Abba'sgrand plans didn't pan out? Big surprise. I was looking forward to pitting myself against this Jethro Gibbs that everyone says is so brilliant."

"We cannot go into Homeland. They have a task force devoted to the Old Races. I think the man we killed may have been was one of theirs."

"Bad luck for us. We have no friends at Homeland. We'll have to pick another target." Ari watched his sister going through the files Shepard had given them on the MCRT. "Why are you rooting through those files? They're worthless now."

"As they were walking away from the car, I heard one of the guards mention _'calling DiNozzo'_. I am sure he was in the files."

"Agent Meatball I believe Abba called him. Of no consequence, he said."

"There must be something if the guard thought he was important enough to call."

"Perhaps it is time to get out from under the thumb of Mossad, and disappear into a life of our own making. This plan has suddenly gone from an easy way to infiltrate American agencies to being fraught with the unknown."

"We will give Jenny until the morning to contact us. If she does not, we will make new plans." Ziva threw the file she had finally found back in the pile. "This is all worthless."

"Come, Achoth, the energy we drew from the Naval officer has begun to wane. We should find somewhere to discretely acquire some lunch."

Placing the files in her backpack, Ziva nodded her agreement. "We will have to be most careful. We do not want to draw attention with another body." She gave him a glare.

"We will be the soul of discretion. I promise." For the sake of the only person to support him, Ari would keep his vow. There would be time for indulging himself once they returned home.

~~}~~

Eliot and Tony leaned against the doorway listening to the two teams argue over who would be acting as backup for the two Mages. The only one who had noticed they had moved was Parker. A loud whistle brought silence to the task force bullpen.

"Listen up!" Chegwidden's growl drew every eye. "Meyers. As wolf shifters you're vulnerable, you and Quinn work with Hardison, as a Human, you're even more so. O'Haver, you're in the air. Williams, you're in the van with Parker as backup for Eliot and Tony." Giving the two men a wink, the admiral retired to his office.

The closing of his office door acted like a signal for everyone to move. Once their surveillance van was checked out, Eliot slid behind the wheel while Tony got comfortable in the passenger seat.

"Lucille is way cooler." Parker whispered in Eliot's ear.

"We have better funding." Eliot reminded the Fae.

"Oh yeah. All these rules can be a real pain."

Tony gave the pair a wide-eyed look. _Later_. Eliot mouthed to the NCIS agent.

He pointed the van toward Garfield Park. They would have to start at the crime scene for Tony to pick up the Djinns' trail. They all got out of the van at the park, and waited as Tony sifted through the different energy floating around the area. Thankfully not too many people had used the park since the murder, making it easier to pick out the very distinctive energies of the Old Races.

Their energy from the day of Tony's post-cog reading was the newest Old Races' energy signatures besides the team's. It took him a few minutes, but he finally found the trail.

"They got on 695, and headed for the bridge." Tony looked at Eliot.

"Quick, cheap motel/hotels in a ten mile radius." Parker barked at Zoe and Hardison.

"Left on 295."

"Anything?" Parker asked.

"Temple Hills, Maryland …" Came through their earbuds.

"Budget Hotel on Branch Avenue." Zoe added.

Eliot looked at Tony. "Right on Pennsylvania." They drove for a few minutes before Tony had the Retrievalist turn right on Branch, and find someplace to pull off the road.

"Talk." Eliot demanded.

"I think Zoe's right about the motel, but they're not there. Their energy trail is moving back toward the city."

"We'll check out the motel, then decide our next move. We need information. I don't want to collect another folded flag because we're running blind." Eliot headed for the motel.

~~}~~

Ari Haswari glowered at his sister across the chipped Formica of the diner's table. She had, without so much as a by your leave, snatched him out of their motel room and drove around the area until she stopped at the small diner where they ordered lunch.

"What has set the cat among the pigeons, Ziva? We have covered our trail too well for father to have found us."

"Things are not going according to Jenny's plan. I was not allowed into the Navy yard. The guards informed me the Commander's case had been taken over by Homeland Security. When I tried to call Jenny, she disconnected the call. I could hear someone admonishing her in the background."

"That is unfortunate. I was looking forward to matching wits with the infamous Leroy Jethro Gibbs." Ari sighed. "What do we know of this task force?"

"Nothing, and we cannot go to our usual sources."

"Perhaps it is time to become acquainted with some of the people from my mother's side of the family." Ari gave her a wolfish smile as the waitress arrived with their meals.

~~}~~

The hotel room was a treasure trove. Tony and Zoe gave him an odd look when he sent Parker to open the door, so they didn't garner attention by asking the clerk for a key. They took pictures of everything in the room, cloned the phone lying on the nightstand, and used one of Hardison's gizmos to connect the Hacker to their machines. When Alec had control of the devices, Parker and Zoe moved to help Eliot and Tony go through the hard copy files.

"They have dossiers on the entire MCRT." Tony sounded horrified. "That's odd." He started flipping through his own file.

"What? That someone gave them copies of official NCIS files." Eliot noted.

"How can you tell?" Parker was always curious how Eliot knew these things. She couldn't see anything distinguishing.

"From the rag content, and the watermarks, I would say someone in HR or the Director's office."

"When Morrow was Director, I remember his official letters were always on _the good stuff_ , as he called it." Parker tilted the paper and ran her sensitive fingertips over it until she understood what the two men were telling them. "The good news is they only have my public file … The bad news is our new Director may have sold out the MCRT."

"Make sure everything is put back. The room needs to look the same as when they left."

"Won't they know we were here anyway?" Zoe looked confused.

"Nope." Eliot, Parker, and Tony began to reset the room, using the pictures they'd taken. "Everybody out." Eliot announced. Once clear, the Mage/shifter sent a spell through the room. "Hardison?"

"Already there."

Parker had herded everyone in the van by the time Eliot settled behind the wheel.

"Back to the hunt?" Tony settled himself to get back to work.

"Nope. Back to the office. It's obvious they're coming back, and Hardison has their electronics. We need to see what he's found, and figure out what's going on with NCIS files. You, Morrow, and Chegwidden are going to need to get with SecNav and the Secretary of Defense with that little tidbit."

"Leave me with the easy stuff." His grumbling caused Parker to snicker.

"You could be helping Zoe get all the pictures sorted, so we hit the ground running once we get to the office. I'd like to get this wrapped up, so we can get back to our real life."

Parker gave him a mock salute before turning to Zoe. 'That's not his serious growl, that's his _week without Quinn_ growl."

Zoe covered her mouth with both hands trying to hold back her laugh. Tony didn't even try.

"Girl ain't never been right." Eliot turned the van toward downtown.

~~}~~

Quinn had returned from grabbing a shower and change of clothes shortly before Eliot's hunting team got back to the office. Hardison brought him up-to-date on the team's findings, so he was up to speed when they filed in the office. The shifter noticed Parker hand a tablet to the NCIS agent before he split off to go into Chegwidden's office.

"You didn't finish the Hunt?" He caught Eliot's belt loop.

"What we got at the motel was more important. Let's just say there's some hinky stuff going on at NCIS." As he said that, Morrow appeared in Chegwidden's office. "Okay. Hardison, time for show and tell. What did you find?"

"We're still going through the laptops, but the two phones are burners registered to the alias for Haswari. Both have international and domestic service. There are a few numbers we're tracking on one, but nothing on the other. Now, the laptops are a different story …"

When Alec finally finished his presentation with a dossier on an arms dealer known as _La Grenouille_. "The file is marked 'for Jenny'. Whatever she does with this information, she's going to be stepping on some very big, nasty toes."

"Jennifer Shephard's father was a General implicated in a weapons theft case where Rene Benoit aka _The Frog_ was a key player. Rather than face the consequences, he committed suicide. Jenny never accepted his suicide. She's always sworn Benoit killed her father." Morrow joined the group with Chegwidden and DiNozzo.

"We've contacted SecDef and JAG about the files you found. We'll need copies of everything found in the motel room. I'm going to steal Agent DiNozzo for this since he was NCIS. Tony if you would gather the needed files, we have a meeting at the Pentagon in an hour."

Flabbergasted, Tony stared after the Admiral for a minute before he turned back to the people he'd come to like and respect since the three members of the Council team stole him from the MCRT.

"Help?" He ran his hands through his hair.

"Okay, people … We're on the count!" Parker announced to the room at large.

The Leverage team snickered as the task force members jumped to make copies and print photos. Hardison and Parker exchanged grins and a fist bump. Quinn caught Eliot's eye, and with an arch of his eyebrow, the pair slipped out of the chaos.

"I was looking through files on all four of our murders. Each had the same patch of dead grass. Each victim was a shifter in their prime. Wolves and Djinn are enemies, so how did two Djinn contain healthy, combat trained wolf shifters long enough to drain them to death with no blood or destruction at the scene other than a patch of dead grass?"

"Tranqs ... Spells. We need to check the toxicology reports." He grabbed a quick kiss from his Mate before they headed back to work.

~~}~~

The members of the MCRT sullenly set in the meeting room with 30 other Humans from the Navy yard. They were participating in HR seminars called _Working and Interacting with Members of the Old Races._ Many of those people were looking around noting who wasn't in the seminar, and wondering why they were exempt.

Caitlin Todd was wondering why she, who had worked with Old Races in the Secret Service, wasn't exempt. She hadn't interacted all that much with those agents, but still … She fumed because Tony hadn't been recalled. He … Well, she'd never heard him express any opinion about Old Races. It would probably be some immature frat boy sexist … Her attention was jerked back to the speaker when she heard a question.

Tim McGee was bored. Not sure why he had to attend this seminar. He was the tech guy, and when they were in the field, Tony or Gibbs dealt with the living. As junior agents, he and Kate only dealt with the evidence. Ducky and Gerald took care of the bodies, so he failed to see the reason he was wasting his time … Until the speaker started talking about their fellow agents. _His fellow agents? All the agents in the office were Human … Weren't they. They didn't look any different._

"Agent Gibbs, as one of the few supervisory agents here today, can you tell us how the talents of the Old Races are helpful in your investigations."

"Wouldn't know. My team is all Humans." He glared at the speaker.

"Surely at some point in your career you have worked with Old Races' agents."

"Don't care what they are as long as the case gets solved. Besides, DiNozzo takes care of talking to other people."

"What about the other agents on your team?" The speaker's curiosity was peaked. She might need to spend time with the MCRT after the seminar was concluded. "Agent Todd … Agent McGee … What about your experiences?"

"Of course, we had Old Races in the Secret Service, they make excellent protectors." When Kate saw the instructor's eyebrows heading for her hairline, she realized how patronizing she sounded. "I mean …"

"I think I will be spending some time with the MCRT after the conclusion of the seminars. You can try to remove your foot from your mouth, Agent Todd."

"Now wait just a minute …" Gibbs started to stand.

"Stand down, Marine." The instructor's eyes flashed as she glared at the team lead. Surprisingly he did. "I find many of the Humans in this agency woefully ignorant of the ways of the Old Races. I WILL be spending a great deal of time with all the teams until I drag this agency into the 21st century."

That announcement elicited a collective moan from the room.

~~}~~

Tony breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the desks in the MCRT were empty. He and Harm followed the SecNav up the steps to the Director's office.

"She in there?" Secretary Jarvis stopped in front of Cynthia's desk.

"Yes, Sir. I'll just …"

"We'll just surprise her." Though his voice was bland, his expression was hard as he marched to the door.

"Who do you … Secretary Jarvis … What a pleasant surprise." Jennifer Shepard tried to recover from her surprise. She glared at Tony. "Captain Rabb. Agent DiNozzo, I thought you were working with the Homeland task force."

"He is, Jennifer. That's why we're here."

"Let's sit at the conference table. I'll have Cynthia bring …"

"We'll sit, but we're not here to be social." Jarvis growled as they settled. "Agent DiNozzo."

Tony opened a folder he'd carried with him. Picking up a photo, he watched the Director as he began his report. "Through facial recognition we have two suspects in the murder of Commander Fike. We haven't yet made an arrest, but we were able to find where they're staying, and have installed surveillance. We also made a disturbing discovery while we installed said surveillance." Tony handed Shepard the picture.

The three men watched a blush raise on her cheeks before they went pale, as she realized the implications of the photo. As she opened her mouth, Jarvis held up his hand.

"It would be extremely embarrassing to this agency, which has just gone through a major audit, and been found lacking regarding the Old Races, to arrest our new Director for espionage. Then there's the added embarrassment of you being linked to the people involved in four murders of American service personnel."

"Sir, I didn't …"

"We could be escorting you to a ride headed for Gitmo just for what we've discovered so far. Be very careful about how you try spin this little bombshell." Harm warned.

"I suppose there's nothing I can do." Shepard tossed the photo back at Tony.

"Get the affairs of this office in order for Deputy Director Granger. You will then report to the DHS office, and meet with the task force at four o'clock for a briefing on your part in capturing your Djinn friends. After that you will be meeting with Rabb, the AG, and _The Gwydion_ to determine whether you will be going to trial in the US or before the Old Races' Tribunal in London."

"Yes, Sir." Tony watched as Shepard deflated.

"Captain Rabb, Agent DiNozzo, you're free to go. My driver will take you back to Homeland since I'll be here until Deputy Director Granger arrives."

"I'll be submitting my recommendations for Ms. Shepard within 48 hours of the conclusion of the case."

"Very well. Agent DiNozzo, I expect daily updates."

"Yes, Sir."

The two men headed back down the stairs. Kate and McGee were at their desks, the tone of their voices whiney. Gibbs was nowhere to be seen.

"Tony! You're back!" They practically chorused.

"Sorry, Probies. Just making a report to the Director."

"So, when are you coming back?" Kate demanded.

"Aww, you miss me." Tony smiled.

"No, we just need you back to do your paperwork. Gibbs has become more demanding than usual." Tim whined.

"Especially after the seminars we have to take since they finished that stupid audit." Kate huffed.

"You're just getting a taste of uncensored Gibbs. Have fun with that. Time for me to get back to my team." Tony waved over his shoulder as he stepped into the elevator.

"You haven't told them?" Rabb chuckled.

"Nope. I think Tom wants to see Gibbs' head explode. Not how one would think _The Primus_ should act. I was on the fence about transferring, but openly using my abilities the past few days made me realize how much of myself I've been hiding. I was passing as Human because I know anything out of the ordinary make Gibbs squeamish, which leads to temper tantrums, and I didn't trust Kate and Tim enough to tell them. So, I came by yesterday on my way home, handed in my NCIS credentials, service weapon, rolled my retirement, and finished cleaning out my desk. Obviously, no one noticed, and with all the chaos that's going to descend when Granger takes over as interim Director, it could be weeks before they catch on."

"I don't think it'll take that long. Granger won't keep MCRT off rotation." Harm countered. "I didn't realize you had such a sadist streak, Tony."

"What happens when you hang out with the Mob."

The guards exchanged a look at the laughing men. There was very little laughter at NCIS these days.

~~}~~

"I need police reports and inventories of break-ins at veterinary practices near the motel. I'm looking for missing drugs." Eliot demanded. He noticed Quinn on the phone with the investigative team in London.

"I got one five miles from the motel here." Hardison.

"Quinn's on the phone with Europe. Check Sweden."

"Parker?"

"Petty cash, syringes, and Ketamine." The thief reported.

"Same thing in Germany and London."

"Sweden was the same."

"Pros. No prints, or any other evidence." Quinn added.

"Pretty lady chats up our guys while the brother hits them with the drug. They never get a chance to shift or defend themselves."

"Defend themselves against what?" Tony asks as he and Captain Rabb entered the office.

"Our victims were probably dosed with Ketamine before they were killed." Eliot growled.

"So, they never realized David was a Djinn, or that she had a partner."

"We have to put that aside, and come up with a plan using former Director Shepard's house to bring down our suspects." Tony looked at Eliot.

"What'cha got, Man?"

"Seems the Director gave copies of the MCRT files to her little minions. She'll be here at 4 to try and save her ass from prison. We want to wire her house for picture and sound then call the siblings to meet at her house. We come in and make the arrest. No muss, no fuss." Always sensitive to his surroundings, Tony looked around the room to see what caused the shift in the energy. He noticed Chegwidden and Harm had come out of the Admiral's office. "I missed something … Didn't I?"

"You've been in the Human side of life a little too long, Son. With _The Elyat_ and his team involved, things are a little different. We don't hold with Old Races killing each other. Since all parties involved are Old Races, David and Haswari will go before the International Council's Tribunal."

"What about Shepard?"

"She'll also go before the Tribunal. Even though she's Human, she's an accessory." The Admiral rubbed a hand over his smooth scalp.

"You're okay with this?" Tony looked at Harm.

"Sarah and I are both Old Races. We both specialized in Old Races laws since so many of us serve. We'll do a refresher on Human accessories to a crime. I'll be at the Tribunal to represent the US's interest, but Eliot and the Council will handle the arrests and transport to London."

"The entire task force, including you, and Morrow will be attending." Chegwidden informed them.

"Oh."

"Let's get busy." Eliot broke the spell. "Shepard's address, any information about her house …"

The team scrambled to obey.

~~}~~

Jenny Shepard sighed as she finished preparing things for Deputy Director Granger to take over. Cynthia helped gather the items she didn't want to leave for strangers to pack. The executive assistant would get someone in to handle the rest of her things after she left, which would happen shortly. She had gone over the events of the past several days, but she could find no glaring errors that would have directed anyone's attention to her. She thought she was dealing with professionals when she allowed Eli David to talk her into using Ari and Ziva. The Mossad were supposed to be the best, particularly the Kidon division, now she would never clear her father's name. She would soon have plenty of free time, and copies of the _La Grenouille_ files were secreted away at her home. A heavy sigh escaped as she caught sight of the two female task force members waiting to escort her to DHS.

"I'm ready." Jenny announced as she slipped her large purse over her shoulder, and grabbed her briefcase.

Captain O'Haver took point while a young Lieutenant brought up the rear as they trailed down the stairs. Jenny was surprised to see Owen Granger waiting at the sign-in desk.

"Owen."

"Jenny."

The group paused long enough for Shepard to hand over her credentials and service weapon. "Cynthia can brief you on anything SecNav missed."

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Granger disappeared into the building.

The former Director stiffened her spine, and pulled her tattered dignity around her. "Shall we go."

"Yes, Ma'am." The agents escorted the red-head to their car.

~~}~~

Jennifer Shepard sat in the backseat of the sedan in a state of shock. She might go to prison. A prison in another country. On top of that, Agent DiNozzo was now working for Tom Morrow at Homeland Security. How could so much happen in just a few days. He was supposed to be a liaison, but Tom Morrow had seen his chance to poach the young agent. Tony had apparently become disenchanted with his treatment at the hands of the MCRT team to accept.

Now, Homeland Intelligence Agent DiNozzo, and one of the agents from the International Council investigative team were escorting her home. Somewhere there was a black van full of people who were going to invade her home to install cameras and microphones. She would call Ziva and invite her and Ari to come to the house on the premise they would be safer there. No one would think to look at the home of the Director of NCIS for fugitives. Her resignation was being kept on the downlow until arrests were made.

As they followed the agency sedan to Jennifer Shepard's house, Eliot murmured under his breath. Soon all anyone saw was a Land Rover following a government sedan.

"What have you done to my Lucille. I swear y'all take some kind of perverse pleasure in doing unmentionable things to my Lucille." Hardison whined.

"Lucille is fine." Eliot snarled. It's just a little glamour so she fits in the neighborhood."

"She's a Mercedes. How could she not fit in the neighborhood?" He pouted.

"If David and Haswari are Mossad, the first thing that will stick out will be a big black van in a high end residential neighborhood."

"You may have a point. So, what'd you do for this makeover? Just so I know what vehicle to run to."

"She looks like a black Land Rover." Eliot gave Parker a glare.

"What? I can't help it if being a good guy makes him cranky." The thief shrugged.

"After we close this case, Chris is buried, and we get the bad guys before the Tribunal, we'll go by Scotland on the way home, and see the family."

"Oooo, I like that. We can take Tony with us. You can talk him into being our new Sophie."

"I thought you didn't want a new Sophie." Hardison was double checking his electronics to install in Shepard's house.

"I changed my mind. I like him. He's neat with his energy, and good at hiding. Plus, I haven't been able to sneak up on him … Yet."

Eliot and Hardison exchanged a look. DiNozzo didn't stand a chance. Looks like _Leverage International_ would be getting a new grifter … Probably before the Tribunal.

"Okay, we're going to get out and start down the street away from our target house. Parker can use her _Cloak_ , and I'll cover me and Hardison. We'll double back, and slip into the house without being seen. Parker, you'll cover getting Hardison back to the van. Aife will be in the air, Tony and I are with Shepard … Zoe, Patrick and Quinn will be on the perimeter. Parker, it will be up to you to protect Geekboy in case Haswari or David make a break. It was time for justice to be served.

~~}~~

Tony and Quinn followed Jenny as she stormed into her study. Trading her stilettos for a pair of flats, she splashed two fingers of bourbon in a glass.

"Oh, sit down. I'm sure your friends will be …" She was interrupted when Quinn opened the door. Several people along with several briefcases appeared in the foyer after the door shut behind them. "Here so soon?" She took a hefty swallow of liquor. "I don't think I'll ever get used to what you people can do." She looked at Tony.

"Why do you think I hid? I bet you can't tell me which of your agents are Old Races."

"To tell you the truth, I never gave it a thought because I don't care. You're all simply assets. As long as our numbers look good for SecNav, and the budget committees …" She shrugged. "You're there for me to use as I see fit."

"Including selling us out to a foreign government so you can cover up the fact that your father was an idiot that got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Killing Benoit won't clear the stain off your father's reputation." Tony growled. "It's unbelievable how you, Gibbs, and Mike Franks think NCIS is here as a cover for your personal vendettas." He drew a deep breath to rein in his temper. Before he could continue, Eliot came back in the room.

"Make the call." He glared at Shepard. "I'm tired of the bodies piling up around you." Quinn and Tony moved so they were standing at _The Elyat's_ right and left shoulder.

She eyed DiNozzo's support of the Council investigators. Realizing she would find no loyalty there, she dug her phone out of her bag. Before she could dial Ziva, the phone rang. "Shepard." She eyed the trio wondering how much they could hear. "Something came up, and I had to leave the office. Granger will be in charge until further notice." She watched Tony roll his eyes. "You know things come up that have to be handled that you don't need to know. Do your job, Jethro. Follow the chain of command. As a Marine, I shouldn't have to remind you." She disconnected the call.

~~}~~

Gibbs stared at his phone. Ever since those foreign agents had taken his case and his SFA, his world had gone to hell. He had combed through Tony's file … His real file but could find no reason for an Old Races Terrorism Task Force to be interested in his agent, but Morrow hadn't stopped trying to get Tony to jump ship since he'd gone over to Homeland. Granger had informed him this afternoon that he had a week to pick a new SFA, and no, he couldn't promote Todd because she was still a probationary agent. That was when Gibbs realized Tony would not be returning to NCIS. That was when he noticed his SFA's desk was cleared of any personal effects. _Damn Morrow for stealing his agent._ Now, Jenny was acting weird. Once he could get out from under Granger's scrutiny, he'd be tracking his former partner down, and getting to the bottom of all this craziness.

~~}~~

Ziva answered her phone when she saw it was Shepard. "Jenny, what happened. Why did you hang up on me?" She made her voice plaintive. It always caused the older woman to fold to Ziva's demands thinking she was helping her get away from her manipulative father.

"You caught me at a bad time. I was in a high-level meeting. They were not happy to be interrupted by a phone call."

"I forgive you. I was calling because the guard at the Navy yard gate told me that the MCRT is not investigating the sailor's murder. That was supposed to be my way into NCIS."

"That's why I'm calling. A lot has changed. I need you and Ari to come to my house, so we can make a new plan."

"Your house?"

"Yes, it's the safest place. The Homeland task force is close to identifying you and your brother. You need to get off the streets."

"You would be exposing yourself as well."

"There is nothing connecting us, and I would never forgive myself if something were to happen to you and your brother." Shepard crooned.

"You make a good point. Send me the address. Ari and I will collect our things, and be there as quickly as we are able." Ziva assured her.

"At least it will be more comfortable than this." Ari sneered at the economy motel as they began collecting their gear.

~~}~~

Ari parked a few houses away from Jennifer Shepard's address. They watched the house for almost an hour before deciding it was safe to approach. Apparently, the Director was home for the night since there was no protection detail patrolling the area around the house. Ziva called to alert Shepard of their presence.

"I'll raise the garage door, so no one notices a strange car on the street. Come straight through to the study. You'll see the light on."

Seeing the door on the two car garage open, Ari pulled their rental in next to Shepard's car.

Jenny came around her desk to greet the siblings. "I'm glad you got here safely. When I saw the bulletins go out with your descriptions, I was so worried." She hugged both Djinn before directing them to the couch and offering them refreshments.

"Why would they do that?" Ari tone was harsh.

"They discovered you had entered all the countries where our service people died. Facial recognition picked you up at the airports."

"Bah. That means nothing. Mere coincidence." Ziva flicked her hand in dismissal.

"Perhaps, but the Old Races Terrorism Task Force does not believe in coincidence. Especially when one of the people who died was a member of the task force."

"They'll be motivated." Ari nodded his head. He looked at his sister. "Perhaps we should come up with something large that will distract them from something as small as the death of their compatriot."

"Not so small to them. I've discovered this week that the Old Races are very protective of their members, and wield quite a bit of power. The International Council has sent its own investigators to help find whoever killed the four victims. They also sent auditors to NCIS, and they cut quite a swath through the agency, and are in the process of turning Washington on its ear."

"The International Council?" The pair exchanged a look. How could their Abba not have warned them about someone who would hunt them for their actions?

"Yes, I thought Mossad was familiar with all the front-line agencies."

"I admit that because of father's position, our training was conducted by those hand-picked by him. It now seems that he has also controlled the information to which we were exposed."

"Ignorance will not be a viable excuse when you are brought before the Tribunal for the murders you committed." A disembodied voice came from behind them. The air shimmered and two men appeared.

"What is this?" Ari demanded as Tony and Eliot snapped handcuffs specifically spelled for the Djinn before they could attack.

"Ari Haswari and Ziva David, you are under arrest for the murders of Commander Christopher Fike, Petty Officer Dwayne Price, Lieutenant JG Olivia Morgan, and Seaman Jesse Winston. You'll be taken to a Homeland Security holding facility until we transport you to London." Eliot informed the pair.

"I wish to call my father." Ziva insisted.

"Your father will be informed of your predicament when we arrive in London."

Ari broke out of his shock at being handcuffed, and began to struggle. He stiffened and fell to the floor. Ziva tried to reach her brother until a woman with a taser appeared.

"Parker! You're supposed to be watching out for Hardison." Eliot reached down to throw the unconscious man over his shoulder.

"He's fine. There's some gray-haired guy stomping this way."

"Gibbs." Tony reminded them.

"O'Haver … Quinn, handle Gibbs. Meyers … Williams, I need you in the house. Parker, you and Quinn grab Hardison's doodads, and get back Lucille and Hardison back to DHS."

"Tony, Patrick, Zoe, and I will be taking a shortcut."

"You're going to have fun." Parker elbowed Tony before she began collecting camera and mics.

"Zoe, grab Shepard's arm. Tony grab David." Eliot handed Haswari off to Patrick. Tony reached for Zoe, who caught hold of Patrick. Eliot grabbed Tony. Shepard's study disappeared, and they re-appeared in the ORTTF offices at DHS.

~~}~~

Gibbs had tried three times to slip out of the office. Three times he'd been stopped. Once by Abby with questions about Tony. He'd cut her short by bluntly telling her his former Senior Field Agent was not coming back. The commotion she caused brought Granger out of the Director's office to see the cause of all the noise. He'd shut down Abby's tantrum with a few choice words while eyeing her outfit. He suggested she review the dress code and regulations to maintain their lab certifications. The Goth scuttled back to the basement.

The second time, Kate got between him and the elevator. The probationary agent had insisted he appoint her Senior Field Agent. Because he was frustrated, Gibbs had growled, told her she was still a snot nosed probie, and to go read the qualifications to be a Senior Field Agent. Once again Granger came to check on the ruckus when Kate squawked about discrimination and chauvinism.

"If you have a complaint, Probationary Agent Todd, I suggest you make your way to HR." Granger suggested. "Gibbs, have you made your decision?" Todd flounced into her chair.

"Not yet, I was just …"

"Getting ready to come to my office?" Granger's stare was deadpan.

"I'll have a decision in 30." Gibbs finally gave in and sat down to read the two files on his desk.

He saw a handwritten note stuck to the top file. _Boss, I know how your hate this part of the job, so I took the liberty of checking out the eligible agents between here and Quantico qualified for SFA. If you need to do something quick to get the team back on rotation, pick Langer as Cassie Yates is undercover for at least a month. Thanks for everything, Gibbs. I'm sure we'll run into each other, DC's not that big … Tony._

The lead agent smiled. Tony knew him too well. Since he wanted the team back on rotation as soon as possible, he put Yates' file aside, and concentrated on Langer. He was familiar with the former FBI agent, and looked forward to _Agent Bythebook Langer_ butting heads with Kate. Satisfied with Tony's choice, he picked up the files, and headed for the Director's office.

Now, there were two more obstacles between him and finding out what was going on with Jenny. When they finally let him in the house, the only thing he found was the skinny blonde, who was with the investigators that took DiNozzo, and some wavy-haired guy he'd never met. They were collecting electronic equipment.

"Where's Director Shepard?" He demanded.

The two smiles he got were all teeth, and made him feel like a dinner entree.

"DHS with our murder suspects." The male agent informed him.

"Why's she there?" This situation was beginning to give him a headache.

"You'll need to ask the boss."

"You mean Morrow?"

"Sure, you could ask him, too." The blonde was hanging off the library ladder removing something from between the volumes of books.

"What are you doing?" Gibbs pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Cleaning up after a job. We had to get everything on camera. I thought Tony said he was an agent?" The blonde landed on her partner's back before slithering to the ground.

"He is. He's just used to the way Humans do things. You have to be special to work the way we do."

"Where is DiNozzo? I need someone to tell me what's going on in a way I can understand."

The man rolled his eyes while the blonde looked confused. "You speak English very well. What language would be easier for you."

"What he means, Parker, is that he can't figure out what his little honey is involved in, and our explanations aren't making any sense."

"Why didn't he just say so?"

"I did."

"Well you don't need to get huffy. We told you where to go." Parker frowned at Gibbs. "Done?" She looked at Quinn.

"Yeah, let's get your boy toy back to the office."

They left Gibbs standing dumbfounded in the middle of the study.

~~}~~

"Oh man! You've got to teach me that spell." Tony exclaimed as the two women staggered to catch their balance.

"Sure. Come out to _The Farm_ anytime. It won't take long." He looked up as Morrow and Chegwidden came out of the office where they'd been listening to the com traffic. "Where do you want the trash?" Eliot asked.

"We have a special cell for Old Races." Morrow offered. "You can leave Shepard with A.J." Zoe and Patrick took the prisoners while Tony and Eliot stayed with Morrow, Shepard, and the Admiral.

"Tony, take Ms. Shepard's statement, and then we'll decide how to handle her incarceration until we go to London."

"WHAT! You can't … What about calling my lawyer?" Jenny stopped at the hard looks from DiNozzo and Chegwidden.

"We don't get to decide. We must consult with the Council about how they want to handle your part in this misery. You're lucky you're not joining your cohorts in the cells we have for Humans. Call your lawyer, give your statement, Jenny, and don't make waves. I need to figure out who I'm calling out of bed."

"I can probably help with that." Eliot offered. "I need to call my sister anyway."

"What's calling your sister going to accomplish, Chegwidden asked.

"She's the _Lady Gwydion_. I imagine she'll be making travel arrangements to London, and getting her staff working on getting the Tribunal scheduled." Eliot explained while he waited for Rhiannon to answer the phone. "Also, Chris' funeral is Saturday at 1500 hours." He put the phone on speaker when he heard his sister answer the phone.

" _Eliot, what news is there?"_

"We've caught the people responsible for the murders."

" _Excellent. I'll send the Council's plane to transport them to London."_

"Send the Gulfstream with agents. We're going to have at two prisoners, Jennifer Shepard, her lawyer, and probably her former partner."

" _Bringing the family? I'll send the Boeing."_

"Not this time. We were setting up for a job when Seamus called. Quinn will be in charge since he handled the Europe and Sweden investigations."

" _It's beginning to sound like most of Washington was involved."_

"It's going to get worse before it gets better. Our murderers are Ari Haswari and Ziva David. They're Djinn. They're also the children of Eli David, Director of the Mossad."

A rash of Gaelic came through the phone. "I'm guessing the kids are in bed." Eliot chuckled at Rhiannon's show of temper.

" _Got Seamus' attention from his 'football' match. I'll tell him what's going on. Stay on your toes. David gets wind of this before he gets the official call, he may send some of his operatives."_

"Chris' funeral is Saturday. We could have all the reports, evidence, and people ready to go Sunday morning."

" _Shouldn't be a problem. I'll put things in motion soon as I hang up. Tell Quinn he's staying in our cottage on the Tribunal grounds. The kids will want Uncle Quinn at their beck and call."_

"Will do. Just don't forget to send him back. Give us a head's up on the hearing date as quick as you can. We'll clear the decks to spend some time. Kiss the kids for me."

" _Watch your back until we get something hammered out with Eli David. I'll call you when I know the pilot's schedule."_

"Make sure you send veteran agents, and remind Eli who your brother is, and what happened last time he crossed me. It might not stop him, but it should slow him down."

" _Will do."_ Rhiannon was chuckling when she disconnected the call.

"Your sister thinks Eli David is funny? I may have to have a scheduling conflict." A.J. looked at Eliot.

"My sister is an ass kicker in her own right. An adept class Mage that birthed two babies to her lump of a husband."

"I'm telling Seamus what you said." Tom threatened.

"He knows I can kick his ass, too." Eliot bared his teeth. "No one tougher than us Spencers. Now, Tom, while Tony's still chatting with Jenny Shepard, you and I need to have a little chat about Tony's employment contract."

"A.J." Morrow motioned to the retired Admiral. "You'll need to be in on this, too. _The Elyat_ named you the North American Council second-in-command, so you might as well get to enjoy this, too."

"I blame this on you for not setting up a proper Council." Chegwidden growled. "So much for my retirement. This job was supposed to be regular hours. More of a figurehead, you said."

"I know the Nemed people … You'd have been pestering Rabb before the ink was dry on your retirement papers. This will keep you out his hair and won't be bored. Now that I got Tony away from Gibbs, your life should get easier."

"Yeah, well, if I hadn't already lost mine, he would have been the cause of it turning gray. I've heard rumors that DiNozzo's as bad as Rabb ever was."

"Remember when you told me you were bored, and the next thing I knew you were graduating from BUDs."

"See, you're perfect together. You'll need to get the rest of your Council in order." Eliot interrupted their trip down memory lane.

Morrow thought about for a minute. "I'm thinking of asking Quinn to be my Enforcer. Being a freelancer, his schedule would be more flexible that someone with a job."

Eliot growled as Chegwidden got up to shut his office door but couldn't deny that his Mate would be perfect.

~~}~~

Jennifer Shephard was mortified that she was sitting in an interrogation room at the Department of Homeland Security giving a statement about her collusion with the Director of Mossad, which led to the murders of four service members. She'd not only lost her job, she'd also lost any power she had in D.C. None of her former associates would come near this fiasco for fear the International Council would send _The Elyat_ after them.

Her lawyer had worked a deal with Morrow, and only the fact of how bad it would look for the Director of NCIS to go to prison saved her. She had to testify, turn over all her files, would be blacklisted, gagged from speaking about this case with anyone, and never again hold a security clearance. The news she received from her doctor on Monday past, made her punishment inconsequential with the short amount of time remaining of her life.

It took two hours, but Tony wrung every detail from how she met Ziva and Ari until they fired her. If she had the energy to spare, she would have been mortified about how badly she underestimated him, but now all she could think about was whether Jethro would come take her home. She was surprised she was being released on her own recognizance, but apparently there would be some sort of magical leash attached. She'd have to start packing for the trip to London Sunday. Jenny was pulled out of her thoughts when movement caught her attention.

"Is there anything else you'd like to add to your statement before we conclude?" Tony started gathering his notes.

"No, that's everything." She looked at her lawyer, who nodded his agreement.

" _The Gwydion_ is sending the Council's jet to transport everyone to London. Departure will be Sunday. You'll be contacted with the time, but I already know it will be early. I suggest you have your affairs arranged for an extended stay since a date has not yet been set for the Tribunal." Tony signaled for the technician to shut down the recording. "Is Mr. Miles taking you home, or do you need to call a cab?" He asked as he led them from the room.

"I'm going to call Gibbs. I saw him outside the house before your teleported me out. I'm surprised he hasn't been on a tear through your office." She gave him a little smile.

"He probably tried, but no one here will be intimidated by a middle-aged Human. Most members of the Old Races are stronger than Humans. An added bonus, he won't cross Morrow and Chegwidden."

Shepard's face turned serious. "Don't let him talk you into going back, Tony. I forgot how good you are because you hide so much. The agent I've seen here is comfortable in his skin, and not hiding his attributes behind a mask."

"Thank you, Jenny. I won't see you again until we come to London for the Tribunal." He extended his hand for her to shake.

She pulled his head down to place a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for fighting to keep me out of jail. I'm glad to be given the chance for a little piece of redemption for my actions."

"Not much of a fight considering we could all sense your health situation." Tony said solemnly.

"You … Oh … I didn't realize …" She stuttered before gathering her dignity around her.

They both noticed Gibbs sitting quietly in the reception area with a cup of coffee.

"Looks like I won't have to make that phone call after all." Shepard brightened to see her ex-lover.

"You might consider telling him and Ducky. They're good men to have in your corner in a fight." Tony counseled.

"I'll take that under advisement, Agent DiNozzo. Good luck in your future endeavors." She laid her small hand on his arm.

"Good-bye, Jenny." Tony said quietly as she moved toward Gibbs.

"I'll call you when Jenny needs to come in and sign her statement." He told the lawyer while watching Gibbs and Shepard. He walked over to where the couple waited. "Gibbs."

"Tony. I'm sorry to lose the best young agent I've ever worked with, but I can see, even after a few days, it's been good for you." Tony nodded in acknowledgement. "I picked Langer to be SFA. I wanted the team back on rotation, or I'd have picked Yates."

"I think Langer will be the better fit. He'll remind you of the rules, and the chain of command. He won't take Kate's reverse chauvinism crap. I should have transferred when Tom moved. I no longer have to hide who and what I am anymore."

"What do you mean. I thought Tom wanted a token Human. There's nothing in your file."

"Because I didn't want to be discriminated against for being Old Races."

He saw the flush climb Gibbs' neck. "It wouldn't have been like that." He insisted.

"Now, you don't have to worry about it. Take care of Jenny. She's going to need a good friend, and a lot of support in the coming months. Good-bye Gibbs."

Tony left his past standing in the reception area as he turned toward into his future.

~~}~~

When he entered the bullpen, Eliot was passing out bags of Chinese food. "Just in time, Tony." He handed him a bag. Everyone settled in with their dinner, including Chegwidden.

"Morrow?"

"Had some Undersecretary stuff to handle, including informing his bosses the Council has taken over the prosecution of the case."

"I thought I heard screams from upstairs." He chuckled as he noticed Parker rooting through his bag of food. "Is there something you need, Parker?"

"Fortune cookie. I haven't had any good fortune cookies since we left home."

"Okay …"

"Don't even try, Bubba." Eliot rolled his eyes. "That's twenty pounds of crazy in a five pound bag."

The group talked about scheduling time to come to _The Farm_ for a weekend. Eliot reminded them to call Sheena or Davin. When everyone began making noises to go home for the day, Eliot stood to get their attention.

"I know we haven't had time to talk about Chris while we were hunting his killers, but his service will be at 1500 hours Saturday at Arlington. There's no one scheduled at _The Farm_ this weekend, so everyone's invited out after the funeral. You're all welcome to come … Relax … Stay overnight. We'll be taking the prisoners, evidence, and Shepard to the plane Sunday morning. We'll hand them off to the agents coming from London. Quinn will be going to London now, since he handled the European and Sweden cases. We'll all travel to London for the actual Tribunal."

By the time everything was sorted out, the team, Tony, Chegwidden, and Morrow was coming to _The Farm_ after the funeral. They cleaned up their dinner trash, then grabbing bags and covers. Eliot settled beside Tony and informed the man he expected him Saturday afternoon, too.

"Why am I staying?"

"Well, there were those spells you wanted to learn, plus we need to discuss your employment contract with DHS. Since Tom and A.J. are going to be there, we can all sit down together."

"They're normally pretty standard."

"Not this one. It has a couple special conditions we need to talk about."

"Okay …"

"Nothing bad. You're just a real popular guy." Eliot grinned.

"The belle of the ball." Tony relaxed.

Eliot gathered Parker and Hardison to their hotel. They just needed to get through the next two days.

~~}~~

Glad to be back in his home territory, it hadn't taken long for the Leverage crew to finish their reports for Homeland, and head home to Annapolis. After stopping at the office long enough to make sure things were good, they headed to _The Farm._ Eliot was thankful Sheena had done his market run for him, so he had everything he needed for weekend guests.

Eliot soon had everything prepped for dinner tomorrow, so they were scattered around the farmhouse's office, reacquainting themselves with the case they were prepping before Chris' murder investigation.

"You know, it was kind of cool being real good guys." Parker rolled over on her stomach to watch Eliot and Hardison. "There was a lot of boring parts, and rules … I liked the part when Tony did his thing, and setting the trap for the Djinn …"

The men exchanged a look. "I'll ask Seamus about establishing an office in D.C." Eliot sighed.

"Oh. Can we live there, too? They have way better stuff to steal." Parker urged.

Eliot sighed. He was probably lucky the two city kids hadn't complained before now about not living in the city. "Sure. Quinn and I can always come out here when we want to run."

"Want me to look for some place?" Hardison looked up from the records check he was running on their mark.

"I got a couple places. I just need to pick the right one." He was surprised when Parker landed in his lap. "Parker?" He sounded strangled as the Fae hugged him tight. "Gotta breathe, Sweetheart."

"We don't want you to think we don't like it here, 'cause we do, but being in Washington this week was exciting. Plus, we have new friends."

"Quinn? You get a say." Eliot looked over at his Mate.

"I vote for the house on Mass Avenue. It's only a couple miles from downtown."

"No yard."

"Yeah, but the place is so big it doesn't matter.

"N Street is big, and has a yard."

"Mass Avenue is a classier place for the _'International Council of Old Races Investigative Services'_."

"Point. Massachusetts Avenue it is." Eliot sighed. I'll call Isaac to open it up, and stock the kitchen."

"Isaac?" Hardison perked up.

"Property manager for my DC properties."

"You have a property manager?" The Hacker's voice nearly squeaked.

"I have several property managers. I can't look after all of them by myself."

"Eliot is hell on wheels at investing his money." Quinn smirked at the couple.

"Cool. That's what we'll do for vacations … Visit Eliot's houses." Parker bounced on the couch with Alec. "Hey, since you've got people you trust, maybe I could use them, too."

"You have real estate?" Hardison's voice did squeak this time.

"Well yeah. I like cash, but you gotta have places to live." Parker huffed like her boyfriend was an idiot. You bought that house with no toilets in Los Angeles."

"I borrowed that house."

"Give me a list, and I'll tell you if I've got someone in the area." Eliot interrupted their squabbling.

"Cool. Now, how are we going to fix this." Parker waved the file.

"Might be the perfect job to break-in Tony." Quinn suggested. "Fresh face … Fresh ideas."

"You sometimes have good ideas." Eliot pulled his Mate in for a kiss. "We can talk to him Sunday after Morrow and Chegwidden leave. If Tony's not available, I've got a couple ideas, and on that note, I'm going to take advantage of a quiet house to spend time with Quinn before he runs off to London." He grabbed his Beta's hand and pulled him toward their suite. "See you guys in the morning."

"Good idea." Parker swiped Hardison's laptop, and shoved him off the couch.

"HEY!"

"You going to argue about your computer over having sex?" Parker put her hands on her hips.

"Uh … No." The Hacker ran for the stairs.

"Good answer." Parker smiled.

~~}~~

No one said a word when Eliot came out of the house in his Army uniform. Quinn saw Parker open her mouth to begin asking the meanings of the pins and ribbons until she saw the shifter shaking his head. They climbed in Eliot's truck and headed for Arlington National Cemetery.

They spent the hour long trip bouncing around ideas about their next job. _The Black Book_ company was their usual type target, but there were some inconsistencies that were troubling. The company was public with the majority of the company shares held by company's founder. It was only in the last ten years some unsavory practices had garnered the company's place in _The Black Book._

"What if the people at the top don't know what's going on with the company?" Eliot asked.

"How's that possible?" Hardison picked up his tablet.

"You mean like plausible deniability?" Quinn picked up on Eliot's line of thinking.

"Or after years of working their ass off to be success they have people that are supposedly trustworthy in positions of power, so they sit back, take a breather, and begin to enjoy the profits of their hard work. Maybe they don't watch the books as close as they once did."

"The managers give the boss smoke and mirrors while they fiddle away Rome." Parker looked over Alec's shoulder.

The job was put aside when Eliot pulled through the gates of Arlington National Cemetery. As Christopher Fike's official family, Eliot, Quinn, Parker, and Hardison were moved to the front of the crowd by the Officer In Charge. Due to their fast healing, it was rare to lose a shifter to injury, so for Chris to be murdered by a Djinn was more devastating than if he had been killed in battle. They stared at the flag draped coffin of their friend, who the weekend before was at _The Farm_ playing hide and seek with Parker.

The shifters on the two teams flinched as sensitive ears were assaulted by rifle shots. Eliot stiffened when the honor guard approached with Chris' folded flag.

" _On behalf of the President of the United States, the United States Navy, and a grateful Nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service."_

Eliot heard Parker sniffle as he accepted the flag, and the spent shell casings from his final salute. As the service concluded, he noticed most of Chris' team wiping their eyes. It was a subdued group that made their way back to their vehicles.

"We'll see you at _The Farm_." Eliot reminded them in the parking lot.

~~}~~

Tony looked around the guest room where the Fae who introduced herself as Sheena had left him. The cool shades of green soothed his spirit, as did the view of the backyard and the river. After settling his toiletries in the bathroom, he wondered down the backstairs where Sheena invited him to join her, her daughter, Iona, and husband, Davin, for lunch.

"Himself and his Pack will be home around five. Feel free to enjoy the property. Play the instruments, take a swim, use the shielded workrooms to practice, or enjoy your coffee and a book in the screen room." Sheena encouraged.

"Sheena." Davin scolded.

"What? This is his first time." She set Iona on the floor when the toddler indicated she was finished eating.

Tony chuckled as he watched the Fae couple though their brogue caused him to have to listen close to catch everything. "It's fine Davin. It's been so long since I've been out of the city, I'd forgotten how it can relax you. I worked with a team who thought I was Human, so it's been several years since I really relaxed and recharged. Now that I know this place is here, I won't let it go that long again."

"With the youngsters be wantin' to move back to the city, I worry about Himself and Quinn. Hopefully they'll be makin' time on the weekends to come home."

"Moving to the city?" Tony felt a tug on his pants leg. Looking down he saw golden eyes staring back.

"Up." Iona demanded.

"Child …" Davin started for his daughter.

"She's fine." The Mage picked up the toddler and settled her on his lap.

"She's used to Parker doting on her, so believes we're all here for her convenience." The proud father chuckled.

"Parker be hardly more than a child herself." Sheena reminded him. "They're moving to one of the Washington houses. The one near the Irish Embassy, if I heard right."

"But …" Tony frowned. "She's …"

"For a Fae she's a youngster. Raised by Humans in the foster system." Sheena frowned. "She was not well-served."

Davin patted his wife's hand. "We be takin' care of that now, we are."

"Am I understanding you're teaching a Fae how to be a Fae?"

"Aye, that we are. The dear child had no idea. Himself, and his grandfather, Walter Black Dog, have been a help, too."

"Sounds like Eliot has made a good place here."

"Aye. When last they visited, _The Gwydion_ gave his blessings for the forming of _The Leverage Pack_ , an offshoot of _The Gwydion Pack_ , and _Elliot Clan._ Himself made all his people members. Parker, her Human, Alec, myself, and Davin. We're small, but diverse." The couple chuckled at Tony's shocked expression. "You've really have been out of touch with your people."

"When I joined NCIS, my schedule was so erratic I lost touch with a lot of my Old Races friends. There were Old Races agents, but after Tom Morrow moved to Homeland Security, it seemed like the higher ups forgot we existed."

"Perhaps that will be changing."

"It will be without me. I'm staying with the terrorism task force at Homeland, though I have a feeling there's more to it since the Council's investigative team has gotten involved."

The Fae laughed at Tony's understatement. "Go take your walk ... We'll soon have a house full of Old Races for you to begin rebuilding your network."

Standing from the table, he bent to put Iona on the floor, but the toddler was having none of it. "If you're going with me, you'll need a jacket." That comment got him a lower lip protruding stubbornly. "I'm going to put on my jacket, and have your máthair fill my travel mug with some more of that wonderful coffee."

"Okay, but you wait for me, Mr. Tony."

"I promise." Tony started up the backstairs.

The caretakers smiled as they watched the tall Mage bending down to explain something to the youngling. "Looks like Himself has picked another." Sheena leaned against her husband as a strong arm wrapped around her waist.

~~}~~

After a buffet spread that would have caused any foodie to have an orgasmic food coma, the two teams had spent the evening relaxing around the outside fire pit. The shifters had come and gone throughout the evening as they decided to take advantage of being away from the prying eyes in the city. The men were staying in the big house while the women had taken over one of the guest cottages.

"Sheena told me you're thinking of moving into DC." Tony looked at Eliot and Quinn as he asked.

"Yeah. Parker's stolen everything in Annapolis, and Washington's next on her bucket list."

Silence reigned over the patio. "What?!" Parker swatted at Eliot. "I gave it all back." "She huffed.

"And I thank you for that, Pretty Lady." Hardison pulled her down on his lap.

Nobody dared asked if they were serious, and the trio didn't seem worried about all the law enforcement sitting with them. "As Hardison pointed out, until Tom gets an investigative team set up for North America, we'll be the ones that get the call. It'll be more convenient if we're already in DC."

"I can recommend some places." Both Morrow and Chegwidden offered.

"Thanks, but I already have a place picked out. We're meeting my property manager tomorrow so Hardison can get started on any services needing wired. We'll be on Massachusetts Avenue next to Ireland's Embassy."

"That Belgian Renaissance monster with the two balconies?" Tom reached for the carafe to refill his coffee.

"Yeah. Offices will be street level front. Hardison and Parker top floor front. They'll be a couple three spare bedrooms. I'm sure we'll figure out ways to fill the space."

"Excellent." Tom rubbed his hands together. It will make things much easier than when you were gallivanting around the world."

"This move is not an excuse for you not to put your own team together." Eliot growled. _The Primus_ sighed. "Besides you have a second to help. I'm sure he knows people that are looking for something part-time to alleviate the boredom of retirement. Not like they have to pass physicals and the like."

"Fine." Tom grinned over at A.J, who frowned at his friend.

"I've sent an email to Rhiannon to let her know you're finally stepping up to the plate, and establishing a North American Council. She'll be contacting you with a list of requirements. Do you have a spouse, or are you in between?" Eliot asked.

"In between."

"Then it won't be a problem for you to establish a Council house."

"But …"

"Rhiannon and Seamus are a fount of information."

"I think I hate you."

"Just sharing the love, Brother." He chuckled as he pulled a beer out of the cooler. "Anyone else?" He passed one to Tony and Hardison. "You've got a task force with an experienced team lead …" He winked at Tony.

"Wait. What about Aife … The people already in place?"

"They'll be rotating out soon. They're TAD from their regular duty stations. I need my new AIC to build a civilian Old Races team. You and A.J. are going to make a helluva team." Tom smiled wide at the two men. "I was just waiting for you to get fed up with Gibbs' head games."

"If this is what's getting settled tonight, I'm afraid to ask what the topic will be tomorrow."

"Enough business tonight." Quinn declared. "Come on, old man, let's go run while we have the chance."

Tony was awestruck as the large red wolf took off across the field followed by a larger silver wolf.

"That never gets old." Alec commented to no one.

"We're going to have to find someone for Eliot to punch about Thursday." Parker cracked.

The men turned to stare at the blonde.

"I know I'm going to regret this, but what happens Thursday?" A.J. asked.

"Day five with no Quinn, so no sex for Eliot. Makes him grumpy." They watched the blonde shimmy up the side of the house using the bricks and drain pipe. "Maybe he'll have a training session with your team instead." Parker snickered.

Tony spit his beer across the patio. "What is she doing?"

"Keeping in practice." Hardison took one last drink of beer. "It's also my cue. Just because Eliot's gonna be grumpy doesn't mean I have to be."

"What have you gotten me into, Tom?" Tony looked at his favorite Director.

"I think I'll save that surprise for tomorrow. I bid you gentlemen goodnight." He set his coffee cup on the service tray.

~~}~~

After Eliot and the task force members dropped everyone off at Regan International's private plane hangar, he let Isaac know he'd be dropping by the house. Wandering through the 9,000 square foot mansion, the Hitter felt like a pea rattling around a bucket, but knew once his Pack was moved in, the old mansion would come back to life.

Checking his and Quinn's suite, he was happy to see his Mate had gotten Isaac's crew to collect his things from his storage unit. He'd get Isaac to recommend someone to man the office in Annapolis. There shouldn't be many calls or walk-ins, but it would be better to have someone there. Maybe offer the top floor apartment as incentive. Hearing the front door open, Eliot headed down the two flights of stairs to meet his friend.

~~}~~

"You want WHAT?!"

Parker gave Tony a confused look. "We want you to be our new Sophie. Are you losing your hearing?"

"Parker, you gotta give the man time to think. I don't think he knows what a Sophie is."

"Of course he doesn't. Good guys aren't supposed to know about the bad guys."

The two older men were fascinated by the back and forth between the young people. "Eliot exactly what does _Leverage International_ do?"

"We pick up where the good guys leave off." The Retrieval Specialist offered.

"Is this like _don't ask, don't tell_?"

"You could say that. You've probably picked up the credit for some of our jobs."

"Like what?"

Eliot bared his teeth. "Damien Moreau."

Both men paled at the nightmare of a retired general going rogue and being involved in the theft of an extremely powerful explosive device.

"'Nuff said." A.J. interrupted before Tom could ask anything else.

"Eliot, you want come rescue Tony from Parker?" They watched the Fae drag the Mage across the patio into the room.

"She's your girlfriend." He admonished Hardison. "Here's how it goes. He paused until everyone was in the room. "Hitter/Retrieval Specialist." Eliot pointed to himself. "Hacker …" He pointed at Hardison. "Thief/Mastermind." He pointed at Parker. "Most of the time we can handle all the parts of a co … case, but sometimes we need an extra body. That would you … Grifter."

"Grifter? You want me to con people?"

"If you want to get technical." He handed Hardison a piece of paper. Tapping a few keys, the TV screen lit up with pictures from their past cases. "Remember the airplane that landed on the freeway in Florida?"

"Something about toxic fertilizer, and a plot to kill anyone that knew about it." Tony answered. Another picture flashed on the screen. "I know this one … corrupt mayor in … Belbridge, was a CI for the FBI, and laundering money for an arms dealer."

A picture of Mark Doyle, the loan shark that tried to take McRory's from Cora after her father's death.

"Okay. I get it. Sometimes the only good guys are bad guys. You got it put in my Homeland contract that I can work with you when you need a grifter?"

"Close enough. More like you'll be available on an as needed basis for special projects for an unnamed contractor involved in _Eyes Only_ cases."

"And you approved this?" Tony looked at Tom, his expression incredulous.

"It gets me access to _The Elyat_ , The number one thief and hacker in the world along with the number one and number two Hitter/Retrieval Specialists. I thought it was a good deal even if all I do is pick their brains about security."

Tony took a pen off the desk. "I guess you've got yourself a new grifter, and Tom and A.J. got themselves a new Agent In Charge." Tony signed his name on his new contract.

"We also have room for you at the new location. It's only two miles from Homeland, and there's room for your piano."

"How do you know about my piano?"

"The camera on your computer may have accidentally come on and showed us your living room." Hardison smiled wide at their newest team mate.

"Don't worry. You get used to it." Eliot commiserated as he handed Tom the contract. Come by this address tomorrow for lunch. You can see your room."

"Don't I have a say?" Now he was getting confused. He'd only known these people a week.

"Sure, you have a say, you're Pack now, but who says no to living rent-free in a mansion?" Parker asked.

"On that note, I need to get back to Washington. Tony we'll see you tomorrow at the office."

"Yes, Sir. I need to get back myself. I have a lot to think about."

~~}~~

Eliot walked over to the desk in the entrance hall, which was the size of most people's apartments, Isaac had set up an office. He retrieved the list the property manager had left with the upgrades he'd had made in the Internet and security. A squeal that carried from the top of the house let him know Parker found the rooftop terrace. He handed Hardison the technical specs as he headed upstairs to get lunch ready. Tony would be arriving anytime.

"There's a gym just a half mile from here … Or downstairs." Hardison was scrolling through pages on his tablet when Tony was pulled toward the kitchen by Parker as he barely cleared the front door.

"Good to see you, Man. You know it's possible to get lost between the first and second floor?" Hardison asked Tony as he caught up.

"When you said you had room, you weren't kidding." Tony exchanged a look with Eliot like he knew Eliot was gathering his Pack under one roof. "Sheena clued me in."

"Your piano would look great in the library, and the soundproofing is second to none. Your rooms are one floor up to the left. Quinn and I are in the front room. The kids are on the top floor."

"There going to be a problem with me cooking?"

"No. It'll be nice to have someone to trade off with. Plenty of cabinets for my gear and yours. Let us know the nights you're working late. Keeps Parker from worrying." Eliot smirked. "Oh, something I didn't want to tell you in front of Tom … Sometimes there are windfalls from our jobs. Any job you work that has a windfall, Hardison will be setting up in a very private account. Makes a good retirement or go off grid fund."

"Why are you …"

"You're the first person that's fit both sides of our life, so welcome to the _Leverage Pack._ You'll get to meet my sister's family when we go to London for the Tribunal. There's an old Cherokee that wonders in and out occasionally named Walter Black Dog. He's the Guardian that raised me and Rhiannon after our parents were killed.

"Wow. Going from passing as Human to being thrown in the deep end. You sure know how to woo a guy." He chuckled as he enjoyed Eliot's lunch.

"Before I started down this path my life was gray with shades of black creeping in fast. Now, my life is full of chaos and color, and I'm enjoying the fruits of being number one in my profession."

Tony held up his bottle of sparkling water. Before he could make a toast they heard Alec yelling Parker's name.

"Stop being such a baby." She admonished. "You act like this is your first time."

The two men left the kitchen to find the Hacker hanging upside down tangled in the ropes of Parker's climbing rig.

"Dammit Hardison." Eliot growled.

Tony raised his bottle in a toast. "Here's to a technicolor life."

"Amen." Eliot raised his bottle.

 _~ Fini ~_


	5. The Secret Identity Job

**Summary:** They captured those responsible for the deaths of military personnel, who were also members of the Old Races. _Leverage International_ is settling their newest member into the Pack, but they've been called to London to appear before the Tribunal. What's going on with Hardison and Tony?

His first official day as Agent in Charge of the Old Races Terrorism Task Force, Anthony DiNozzo spent with the new Deputy Undersecretary of Intelligence Operations, A.J. Chegwidden. The two men worked to get A.J. moved to his new office, and getting Tony settled, so he could begin staffing the task force with civilian personnel. He enjoyed working with the team Chegwidden had in place, but they were a stopgap, and needed to return to their duty stations. Knowing he could call on the new North American Old Races Council Enforcer, Quinn for help made the daunting task ahead of him seem a little less so. It was also his intention to shamelessly exploit his pack to help separate the wheat from the chaff in the pile of applications.

 _His pack_. Well, not _his_ , Eliot Spencer, world's number one retrieval specialist, Hitter, Mage, and shape shifter was the alpha. Eliot's brother-in-law, Seamus Elliot, _The Gwydion_ , and head of the International Council of the Old Races, made the Retrievalist _The Elyat_ , Chief Enforcer and lead investigator for the Council. His Mate and pack Beta, Quinn, number two among the world's retrieval specialists, Hitters, and the Council's investigative team. Tony rubbed a hand over his face as he thought about the last two members of the pack. Parker, infamous thief, Fae, and team Mastermind, along with Alec Hardison, Human Hacker whose talent frustrated his former team mates, Timothy McGee and Abby Sciuto to no end.

For reasons known only to herself, Parker had latched onto to him the moment they met and insisted he was pack, and their new _Sophie_. It turned out Sophie was their retired Grifter. Seems all those years of watching Senior con people out of their money had left a mark on him the members of _Leverage International_ were able to see. Maybe it was the years of undercover work. Heading for the coffee pot on his cadenza, Tony was still amazed at the rapid changes that had taken over his life in the past month.

New job … Jobs. New home … A very nice home in one of the historic mansions of Washington, D.C. Physical training with the _Leverage_ team that made Gibbs' workouts seem like a Sunday social. He was challenged physically, mentally, and magically. When he thought he was too tired to think, Eliot would cook. Saying Eliot could cook was like saying DaVinci could paint.

Out of all the changes he'd been through, the biggest surprise to Tony were the changes in himself. He didn't realize the stress he'd been living under at NCIS hiding his Old Races status. Being away from Gibbs and Sheppard's mind games, Kate's reverse chauvinism bitchiness, and McGee's whining was like stepping into the sun after a long winter. His new crew was weird as snake suspenders, but they accepted him, his warts, and gave him odd looks when he didn't use his abilities. Some of their reminders left bruises, which Parker continually jabbed until they healed.

Shaking his head, to pull his thoughts away from his odd family, and back to his job, Tony checked the people working outside his office. Everything appeared normal for people tracking bad actors that were also Old Races, so he went back to reading applications and personnel files.

~~}~~

Eliot pinched the bridge of his nose trying to stave off the headache he could feel trying to build. After the _Leverage International_ team wrapped up the Council's investigation into the murders of four wolf shifters, they'd returned their attention to the case they'd been prepping. Turned out his suspicions were right about the founders of the targeted company. The owners had been kept in the dark by the same people they'd hired to take over the day to day operations.

Kefentse Naidoo had built a successful textile and clothing company during a time when blacks owning businesses in South Africa was a rare thing. Ten years after the supposed end of apartheid, Kefentse had wanted to semi-retire to spend more time with his family and enjoy the profits of his blood, sweat, and sacrifice. Now, Eliot had to tell him the people he trusted were taking advantage of that trust.

Hardison finding Naidoo and his wife in Washington visiting two of his children at college saved them a trip to Cape Town, South Africa. Grateful for small favors, Eliot was expecting a call from Seamus or Rhiannon any day giving them a date for the Tribunal that would decide the fate of Jennifer Sheppard, Ari Haswari, and Ziva David. He was pulled out of his thoughts when Hardison danced through the doors that lead into the conference room. Quinn set a fresh pitcher of water on the conference table just as the doorbell chimed.

Eliot welcomed the couple and settled them at the conference table. When everyone was settled with refreshments, Eliot explained why they wanted to see the South African couple.

"We recently obtained information having to do with operations and employee conditions at your company … Particularly the treatment of some of your female employees. After looking at the history of your company, Hardison noticed the company had a spotless reputation until five years ago. While he continued researching your operations, we also explored other changes in your operations. These changes also began five years ago." He paused long enough to pass them folders full of documents Alec also projected onto the large television screen. "Normally we would turn our findings over to the people that handle such things, but we went the extra mile to find out what happened five years ago. Turns out that's when you went into semi-retirement, Mr. Naidoo. So, we decided we would arrange to meet."

Double checking the papers against the images on the screen, the couple exchanged a look. "I do not understand what you are showing me, Mr. Spencer. When we visit the office, look at the books, and inspect the facilities, everything is as it has always been." Elifasi Naidoo shook the pages in Eliot's directions. "Our manager, Stephen Attah, has our full confidence."

"In our business, it is not unusual to find unscrupulous executives put on a show for their owners, stockholders, etc., before returning to business as usual." Hardison offered another folder on the information he accumulated on Stephen Attah.

"When the cat's away, the mice will play." Parker chimed in from her spot sitting cross-legged on Eliot's desk.

"You are in a very unique situation, Mr. and Mrs. Naidoo. You've gone from being under suspicion to being someone we usually offer to help." Hardison smiled.

"Help how? How much would this help cost us?" Kefentse asked suddenly suspicious.

"It will cost you nothing, because often times when someone's money or position of power is threatened they become angry, scared, unpredictable, and sometimes dangerous."

"We have dealt with men like that all our lives. Change does not always set well with the people who lose control. We have those that will lend eager hands to end Stephen's shenanigans."

"If you need us …" Parker handed Elifasi a business card.

"We thank you for bringing these problems to our attention instead of outsiders who might not understand how certain things should be handled." Kefentse offered his hand to the _Leverage_ crew.

"We understand discretion, and how upheaval can effect a company." Eliot assured.

"It was time for us to resume our duties to the company. We find retirement has become a bit boring. Maybe when we are older it will look more appealing." Elifasi's smile reminded Eliot of a lion.

Quinn escorted the couple to their waiting car.

"I think they'll do just fine." Eliot grinned as they watched the car pull away.

Quinn handed Hardison a card. The Naidoo's said anytime we're in Cape Town, we have a place to land."

"Good to know." Parker hummed to herself as she pulled Hardison with her to the kitchen.

Eliot was getting ready to ask Quinn if he wanted to go to Rock Creek Park for a run since they wouldn't make it to _The Farm_ for the weekend when his phone rang with his sister's ringtone.

"Rhiannon know _Witchy Woman_ is her ringtone?" Quinn smirked.

"What do you think?" Eliot grinned at his Mate. "Hey Sis. How's the family?"

The happiness of hearing from his sister had turned to his customary glare by the time he ended his conversation.

"What's wrong?" Parker skidded back into the room holding a bowl of cereal.

"The date for the Tribunal has been set for a week from Monday. The jet will be here Friday, and we'll fly out Saturday." He scrolled through his phone looking for Tony's number. A grin tugged the corners of Eliot's mouth as he waited for him to answer. The green-eyed Mage had slid right into their pack like he was meant to be there. Parker adored her new _brother_ and was looking for the perfect job for Tony's first time.

 _"Very Special Agent In Charge Anthony DiNozzo."_

"Rhiannon called. The Tribunal is set for a week from Monday. We fly out Saturday morning at ten. Same hangar as before."

 _"That was quick. I'll let the team know. Did anyone call Tom?"_

"Seamus is calling the Heads of the continental Councils."

 _"Okay. I'm bringing files for Hardison's special brand of background checks, so I can get a team picked. That way I can kick my soldiers back to military."_

"You got it, Hoss. We can all pitch in. Can't be too careful these days." Eliot chuckled. "Later."

 _"Much later if I don't get it in gear."_ Tony was smiling as he ended the call and headed for the bullpen.

"Heads up, Gang. We're headed to London 10 am Saturday, same hangar where we shoved our bad guys on the plane." His announcement was met with nods of acknowledgement. "Anyone got anything that needs our immediate attention?" A chorus of 'No's' answered him. "Pack it in for the day."

He took his own advice and packing his files in his high-end briefcase/computer bag his pack had gifted him as a welcome to the crew. Tony smiled, loving his two mile commute home.

~~}~~

Ziva David was frustrated. Never had her life been so strictly regimented. Nothing she did caused her guards to show any empathy or sympathy for her situation. She and Ari were allowed to feed once a week from volunteers. The two Djinn were closely watched and strictly rationed. It was the only time she saw her brother, but they were not allowed to talk or interact. She had been informed of the date for their Tribunal and that her father had been notified of her and Ari's situation.

Hearing the door open, Ziva looked up to see her guard talking to a man who was very familiar to the Djinn. Malachi Ben-Gidon had trained with Ziva and Ari, and quickly rose to lead her father's hand picked Kidon agents. She knew wherever Gidon appeared, his Mate, Liat Tuvia, was lurking in the background. The couple were Bateleur shifters. She had seen them riding the thermals over training camp, but she had little time for shifters. She felt they were little more than the creatures of their _other_ form.

"Has father sent you to demand our release?" She snapped.

"He has not. He could have perhaps bargained with the Council had you not killed someone under the protection of _The Elyat_." Ben-Gidon's tone was calm. He and Liat had always caught the brunt of Ziva's contempt for shifters. Even Eli could not figure where her prejudice had begun.

"He was merely another wolf shifter. Why should Ari and I have cared with whom he is friends?"

"That fact has made it quite unlikely the Tribunal will show you and your brother mercy. You must temper your attitude if you wish to curry leniency."

"I will bow my head to no man. I am a David." She gave Malachi her back as she flounced down on her bunk.

"Then I fear things will go badly for you."

"Do they not know of our father? This Council and Tribunal surely does not have more power than father."

"The Council is well acquainted with your father. _They Elyat_ has had personal dealings with many of our Kidon and has schooled your father on true power." He was sad to see that his words were having no effect on the Mossad princess. "The International Council of The Old Races laws apply to all members of the Old Races across the world. _The Elyat_ is the Chief Enforcers and Agent in Charge of the investigative arm of the Council."

"Bah. I am sure you and Liat were sent here to get Ari and I back to Israel."

The agent smirked at Ziva's declaration. "I am here to negotiate for your life. It has been indicated to your father that the death penalty is a very real possibility. Your father wishes for you to suffer the consequences of your actions. He can always have more children if the Tribunal cannot be persuaded to spare your life."

Seeing the flummoxed look on Ziva's face, Malachi wondered if something had finally sunk into her arrogant brain. Calling for the guard, he wondered what sort of reaction Liat got from Ari. He had always been the smarter of the two siblings. Ziva had always been the brawn to her brother's brains. Malachi looked for Eli's bastard son to throw his half-sister at the Tribunal to save his own life. Liat came around the corner, and from the expression on her face, he knew he was right.

~~}~~

Ari stared appreciatively at Liat Tuvia as she walked away from his cell. The petite Kidon agent was as deadly as she was beautiful, something Haswari always appreciated in a woman. Shame she was mated with Ben-Gidon. Her fierce energy sent shivers through the Djinn. Turning away from the bars that were spelled to specifically contain a Djinn, he settled on his bunk to consider the information Liat had passed along.

He was sure Ziva would be in a high dudgeon, angry that daddy did not immediately run to her rescue. If the wolf shifters they had killed had been ordinary citizens, the Director of the Mossad would have paid out a handsome sum to cover his children's indiscretions. He may have even been able to use his political allies to smooth over the deaths of three military personnel and an NCIS agent had not their last kill been under the protection of _The Elyat_. His father would have to do some fancy dancing to prevent them from being put to death. This was what he got for depending on the plans of others. That it had been a group hidden from Mossad Intelligence along with _Agent Meatball_ from NCIS made his energy run in hot waves through the tattoo like markings on his skin.

If he lost his life on the word of the Tribunal, there would be a reckoning that would leave him forever imprinted on their memories.

~~}~~

The pilot had turned off the seat belt sign allowing the passengers to get comfortable for the long flight. When Tony returned to his seat after grabbing a cup of coffee from the galley, Alec handed him a tablet on his way to find an orange soda. Sitting down at the table across from Tony, the Hacker was joined by Eliot and Parker.

"These are the ID's and legends I've put together for you. Since you are an undercover specialist, I expect you'll have suggestions, or ID's you may want to throw in the pot." Hardison opened another file on the networked tablets. "These are files on a special project _Leverage International_ works when we don't have other clients. I'll walk you through the log-in for those."

"What kind of special project?" The thought that this group had a particular focus on this set of files made his stomach flip. Tony wondered what would be left in the smoldering ruins when they were finished their _project_. "Let's take a look at the legends. We can talk about the files when we're some place less crowded."

Eliot had headed for the galley knowing Rhiannon would have ordered the fridge and pantry stocked with his favorite ingredients. He'd enlisted Quinn to keep Parker entertained, and not by practicing her pick-pocket skills on the Homeland team. Hardison and Tony still had their heads together over their tablets. Enhanced hearing picked up the Hacker's questions.

"What about Dr. Anthony Paddington? Sometimes we need aliases based in real life."

"How did … Never mind." Tony sighed.

"Age of the Geek, Man." Alec's smiled wide.

'Yeah, yeah, okay. I'll probably stop in and see the family while we're in London."

"It'll be nice having someone who understands me instead of dissin' my _geek spirals_." The last was said loud enough that Eliot stuck his head around the corner with a satisfied smirk.

"It's only a Bachelor's." Tony insisted.

"If Hardison says you're good then it's good." Parker danced through to the galley.

Quinn sprawled in the seat next to Tony. "I swear Eliot's the only one that can keep up with her." He was unabashed in reading Tony's screen. "That's where I know you from … You keeping THAT alias?"

"No. He's faded into the sunset. If someone recognizes me I just say it was time to change names. Got tired of the cops pinning anything unsolved on him." Tony chuckled.

"You're good … Had me fooled."

"I remember now. You retrieved the Don's daughter when she ran off with the race car mechanic." Tony chuckled.

"I should have charged more. She was a spoiled bitch." Quinn rubbed his shin in remembrance.

"What do you doctor?" Parker sat down with a box of cereal. "We could use a doctor."

"I'm not a medical doctor." Tony accepted a refill from Eliot. "I have a doctorate in Criminal Psychology."

"So, you know how the bad guys think?"

"No one knows how you think, Parker." Eliot was headed back to the galley after refilling the fridge by the mini-bar.

"That's a good thing … Right?" The thief bounced after the Retrieval Specialist. "Eliot?"

"These legends look pretty good, but a little rough. I'll flesh them out a little better then we'll start putting together documents."

"I got all those." Hardison dropped his voice to keep from being overheard. "It was a glorious day when everyone put their stuff online."

Before Tony could admonish the Hacker, they were interrupted by Eliot passing out dinner. "Put the toys away. You know how I feel about electronics at dinner." He glared at Alec and Tony.

After dinner, the two groups mingled over drinks and dessert. They talked about news and gossip in the Old Races community and looking forward to looking up friends and family while in London. Tony couldn't believe how good it felt to be among his peers, and not have to wear a mask. He hadn't spoken with any of his Paddington relatives since his Uncle Clive's funeral. There'd only been time for an exchange of niceties before he had to return to work. He wanted to know if his abilities had come from the Paddington side of the family. He'd only had interaction with Crispin, who was an arrogant ass, but maybe one of his other relatives could give him some insight.

~~}~~

Listening to the report from his operatives about their visits with his children, Eli David rubbed his hand over his face. Ari was far too much like him, and he had obviously been too lenient with Ziva.

"When the tribunal begins, you will stay alert to Ari's actions. I am sure he is spending his imprisonment thinking of ways to escape and extract revenge."

"How so, Sir." Liat asked.

"It is what I would do." He exchanged a look with Ben-Gidon.

"You look tired, Director. Should I call your assistant?" Eli waved him off. "What of Ziva?"

"I suspect she is too busy being affronted at being captured. Her belief that Ari or I would protect her has been her ruination." The Kidon agents smirked at the Director's description of his daughter. "Take the evening. I suspect the coming days will be filled with long meetings and frustration at things over which we have no control."

"Yes, Sir." The two agents retired to their adjoining room.

Eli stood and moved to stare out the window at his view of London. "Ah, my loves, I have succeeded at my vocation, but have failed as a father. I thought if I trained them, they would be strong and independent. Instead they have become arrogant and manipulative." He whispered to those long dead. "I fear they have grown up too much like me, and not enough like the women that gave them life."

Darkness had fallen before he stepped away from the window and the contemplation of the death of his remaining children.

~~}~~

Quinn collapsed against Eliot's chest, smearing the evidence of their bed wrecking sex between them. Eliot finger combed the sweat soaked ringlets as his Mate lay limp against him.

"Hmmm. I'll give you a month to stop that." He purred.

"You're worse than your wolf." Eliot chuckled when Quinn buried his nose in his hair.

"We need to find more time for this." The shifter whined.

"Sex or just laying around?" He rolled Quinn under him.

"Both." He stretched his neck to capture the kiss swollen mouth above him. Giving a sniff, he wrinkled his sensitive nose. "As much as I love your smell, I think we need a shower."

Chuckling, Eliot released Quinn from his grip and headed for the bathroom. "I think you're right. Besides, Parker will soon be done exploring, and will have questions. We need to get Hardison tracking down the Paddington's. I've lost track of whether the House of Lords is in session."

"Have you ever met any of the Paddington's?"

"No. I've heard Seamus talk about them. A woman he calls Liv is his Second on the North Sea Council. Sounds like the Elders aren't too bad, but some of the younger generation are asses."

"Think they're where Tony get his abilities?"

"Rumor has it the Old Races blood became diluted back in the day of arranged marriages for money and titles, but has gathered strength since the turn of the 20th century."

Eliot had begun pulling the makings for breakfast out of the refrigerator when Parker burst through the door dragging Tony and Hardison.

"Oh good. I told them we were just in time." Parker went straight to the pantry. Finding a box of fortune cookies, she perched on one of the bar stools. "What's up for today?"

"Not much until the Tribunal actually starts, but we need to stay on the grounds in case we're needed for something. We find Tony's relations, we can invite them here."

"I got a start on that while you were sleeping in." The Hacker gave them a smirk. "I got a phone number for the wife of the old dude that's a Lord." He brought pictures up on his laptop.

"I know what my uncle looks like, Alec." Tony rolled his eyes. "I just need a phone number."

"Of course you do, Man." Hardison ducked his head.

His embarrassment was interrupted by Parker. "Hey, I think I once stole a painting from them. It was on loan to the museum. They must really be loaded, 'cause they have really good taste in art." The thief bubbled. Tony exchanged a look with Quinn and Eliot. "I should probably give it back since Tony's family is our family, and Sophie said we don't steal from family."

Quinn handed Tony a cup of coffee with a commiserating look.

"Twenty pounds of crazy ..." Eliot muttered.

"I'm sure they'd appreciate having their painting back." Hardison's grin was besotted.

"Cool. Did you get an address, too?"

"I'll send it to your phone."

Glad to change the subject with food, the _Leverage Pack_ settled down to a hearty breakfast.

Between meeting _The Gwydion_ , Seamus Elliot, and his wife, Rhiannon, who happened to be Eliot's sister, Tony was feeling a bit overwhelmed by dinner. The two teams got together at the dining hall to enjoy an excellent dinner. The five were settled around the living room of their cottage when Eliot informed his pack that Eli David was in London.

"How do you know?" Tony asked.

"Malachi Ben-Gidon and Liat Tuvia have been to visit David and Haswari."

"And they are …" Hardison pulled grabbed his tablet off the coffee table.

"Director David's top Kidon operatives … Raptor Shifters … Mates."

Parker turned serious. "Think they're here for a jailbreak?"

"I think they're here to get the lay of the land. Ziva's pissed daddy didn't ride in to the rescue. Ari is pissed, too, but he's probably planning an escape. The apple didn't fall far from the tree with that one."

"What I've read about the good Director, that's not a good thing." Tony muttered.

"Yeah. With Eli you always need to have a bigger club."

"You know Eli David?" Quinn's eyebrows got lost in his curls.

"Went up against him, and his Kidon agents a few times."

"Is Israel one of the places with a bounty on you?" Parker's eyes lit up.

"No. Just Myanmar." Eliot gave her a wink.

"Think anyone else is on to Haswari?" Tony asked.

"Yeah. The Council are a bright bunch. Some are asses, but hard to con." Quinn lamented.

"Looks like the schedule is light tomorrow. I'll call the number Alec got me in the morning and see if I can visit after they adjourn." Tony stood and stretched. "Night all." He gathered his empty beer bottles as he headed for his room.

"Night." The group chorused.

~~}~~

The extra days they had before the start of the Tribunal had been good for the teams from America. The time Tony spent with his Paddington relatives had been good for his heart and mind. The elder generation had accepted him with open hearts along with suspicion and grumblings from the younger. By supper, the cousins had accepted their American cousin, and Tony had learned he was descended from a long line of magic users. His mother had been the only Paddington child who did not manifest her Old Races heritage, so DiNozzo Senior never knew his wife's magical heritage.

The Paddington's had been surprised when they learned Tony was a member of the _Elliot Pack_. According to his aunt, _The Gwydion_ was particular about who was allowed into the pack. It had gone a long way toward convincing the cousins he was nothing like his father. After the supper, they'd all moved to the grand salon for coffee and brandy.

There was a bit of confusion when his uncle noticed what looked like a packing crate for a painting leaning against the piano. Tony nearly spit his coffee while the rest of the family got excited over the painting. The Mage recognized the painting as one he'd seen hanging in Parker and Hardison's room at the Elliot family _cottage_ on the Council's estate. A warm feeling started in Tony's chest when he caught a brief flash of Parker before the Fae disappeared under her _Cloak of Invisibility_.

"What's the excitement over a painting?" He settled on one of the antique couches with a fresh cup of coffee.

"Five years ago, there was a rash of thefts across London. Didn't leave a spec of evidence behind. That painting had been in the Paddington family for over 300 years. It came to the family as part of bridal dowry, and was on loan to one of the museums that was robbed. When it never showed up on the black market, we feared it had disappeared into a private collection."

When Tony had returned that evening, he'd hugged the Fae until she squeaked before placing a kiss on her forehead and thanking her for returning his family's painting.

Patting him on the chest, Parker assured him she didn't steal from her family. If Tony's smile was a little watery, the rest of his new family didn't mention it.

Settling behind the North American _Primus_ , beside Chegwidden, Tony was not surprised when he saw his Aunt Liv moving to a seat behind Seamus as his Second-in-Command. Sitting beside his aunt was Mycroft Homes, who Tony only knew from the backgrounds Hardison had worked up on all the movers and shakers associated with the International Council. His aunt gave Tony a smile and a wink as she settled in her seat. Her action caused Holmes to lean over and question her. As Tom was still building his Council, Tony had been drafted by A.J. to stand as a third member of the North American Council.

Tony continued to scan the room while the members settled. Parker and Hardison sat with the four investigative teams, while Quinn and Eliot attended their duties to the Council. As _The Elyat_ , Eliot and Quinn, as his Second. would be a line of defense between the accused and the Council should Haswari and David become unruly. As such, they were stationed on the room's lower level with the accused and their legal representatives. Tony noticed the Israeli contingent already seated in the gallery along with the Secretaries of Defense, Navy, and their aides. Among the aides, Tony saw the familiar faces of Gibbs and Ducky. Sheppard must have come clean with SecNav about her illness for the man to voluntarily put up with Gibbs and Ducky. All they needed to get started were the remaining members of the Council, and the accused.

~~}~~

Staring out the window of her room, Jennifer Shepard was grateful _The Gwydion_ had been generous in allowing her a very comfortable suite of rooms as opposed to a jail cell. His wife was a Mage who had performed a spell that only allowed her to leave the room with the two women assigned as her guard.

Shepard's only visitors had been her lawyer, guards, _The Gwydion_ , Rhiannon, his wife, and two people she came to understand were _The Gwydion's_ top two members of the International Council. In honor of the agreement worked out with the Council, the four had come into her rooms with a video camera to take her statement. Rhiannon had left the room after casting a spell to guarantee the truth of her statements.

The past month had been a revelation to the former Director. Her days had been spent resting, reading, or walking the grounds with her guard. For a woman who had worked nearly every day, her time alone had been rejuvenating. Jenny hadn't realized how the stress of her job combined with the stress of her subversive activities had affected her already declining health. Looking back on the plans she had been making to kill Rene Benoit, she realized those plans would have probably cost one of her agents their life. She'd been eyeing Jethro's SFA for her operation. DiNozzo was handsome and intelligent. That intelligence would have probably come around to bite her on the ass, but the man certainly filled out a designer suit. Any straight woman with a pulse would fall for the man's flirty charm and romantic nature. That had started her idea of having the young agent go after Benoit's daughter.

The biggest surprise of her stay had been when Rhiannon had directed the delivery of coffee and tea along with Jethro and Ducky. After they caught up on the news since Jenny had been taken away from NCIS, the topic turned to the upcoming Tribunal, and what would happen afterward. The Old Races Council wasn't interested in punishing the petite red-head since she did not commit the murders. They were leaving her punishments to the Mundane government for her part in providing confidential files to the rogue Mossad agents, and planning to allow a foreign agent into an American agency. She would be returning to the States with the American contingent and learning her punishment, probably on the plane ride home. Until then, she would be seated in the gallery with the other spectators.

~~}~~

Feeling the magic dampening his own abilities as the cuffs and shackles were snapped closed, Ari wanted to drain the life out of his jailers for his confinement. Kept a few days away from starvation, the powerful Djinn had been reduced to no better than a Mundane. It took all of Hawari's considerable training to keep his expression blank and his demeanor quiet. Standing in the confinement area's office, Ari could hear his half-sister using her considerable language skills to express her displeasure at her treatment. It was times like these Ari wished his father had not doted on Ziva after their sister, Tali's death. Ziva was far too filled with her own importance to be an effective operative … Not that it mattered at the moment, but perhaps that would change.

"Ziva! Have a little dignity, Woman." Ari snarled.

Glaring at her brother, Ziva's face burned in embarrassment as her brother's admonishment for her behavior stung. To do it in front of their guards only added to her anger and mortification. It did serve its purpose, causing her to gain control of her temper. The siblings were both subdued as their shackles were fastened to the table alongside their legal advocates. Looking at the stern faces watching them from above, did nothing to raise their expectations for the outcome of the Tribunal.

Seamus Elliott stared down at the two Djinn. Christopher Fike was a valued member of the _Elliot Pack_ , and they still grieved the young Commander's death. Chris had been making plans to retire and return to Scotland, thinking of looking for his Mate. He knew Eliot and Quinn still mourned the younger wolf shifter. Both men had been hyperaware since their arrival, waiting for Eli David to pull some stunt to free his children while keeping his own hands clean. Glad everyone was finally seated. _The Gwydion_ banged his gavel to call the Tribunal to order.

"It has many years since this august body has had to call a Tribunal. Seldom has it been for the reason we are here today. Seldom are members of the Old Races so ignorant of their own history that they would murder not one, but four members of the Old Races." Seamus watched as the three Djinn stiffened with indignation at his description. "This Council has spent the time since the arrest of Ari Hawwari and Ziva David, reading reports, looking over evidence, and for the past four days listening to the truth spelled testimony of the investigating agents. Jennifer Shepard do you have anything further you wish to tell this International Council of the Old Races before we pronounce our judgement?"

"No, Sir. I regret that my ignorance of your people could have caused harm to Agent DiNozzo and would like to thank you for taking my health in consideration when you assigned my accommodations."

"As the charges you will be facing when you return to the United States and the Mundane courts will be harsher than the penalties we would lay for your actions, the Council remands you to the custody of your Secretary of Defense."

"Thank you, _Gwydion_." Shepard returned to her seat.

"Advocates, do you have anything you wish this Council to consider in defense of your clients?"

Ziva's advocate climbed to his feet. "Honorable Members of the Council, I would ask that you show leniency to my client. Ziva David has been emotionally compromised to her detriment since the violent death of her younger sister, Tali. She turned all that emotion and devotion to her elder brother … Looking to him for direction and support. As a trained Mossad agent, it is obvious to me how far she allowed that devotion to carry her into the darkness of her brother's unconscionable actions against four proud members of the Old Races and the American military."

All the non-Mages in the room watched the Mages for indication the advocate for Ziva David had lied. Seamus saw Eliot clenching his jaw as Rhiannon turned to whisper in his ear. "Councilor, I know you are aware of the truth spells embedded in these walls."

The man cringed. "Yes, I am."

"I ask because you are dangerously close to _The Elyat_ relieving you of your freedom."

Tanned skin paled. "Understood."

Ari's smile was nasty when he caught the Advocate's attention. His fickle little sister had definitely turned his head. He didn't blame her, he was mad that she got to employ the gambit before he did.

 _The Gwydion_ turned his attention to Ari's Advocate. "Do you have some fantastic story to weave for me, Councilor?"

"No, Sir. We ask only that you return my client to his home country for his incarceration."

"What incarceration, Councilor? These two creatures killed four valued members of our society. Why should they continue to live?"

Silence filled the hall with _The Gwydion's_ question. Just as Seamus was about to continue, Eli David stood.

" _Gwydion,_ I would beg the Council's indulgence."

"Director David, you have something for our consideration?"

"I do. I would offer the families of the murdered restitution, and my children placed under the Binding Rune and incarceration instead of death."

"Do you truly understand what you ask, Director? A Binding Rune is for life. Even if they should be released from physical prison, they will never again have the powers of the Djinn."

"I understand."

 _The Gwydion_ got confirming nods from the other Members then turned his attention to the prisoners. "Do you understand what your father has proposed?"

"We do."

"What say you to his proposal?"

"We agree." They said in unison. Better to live to fight another day. Being in prison in Israel had advantages such as volunteering for suicide missions. There was always someone who could break spells.

"We will make arrangements for transport and life imprisonment in Israel." He looked to his wife who handed him a slip of paper. "The Binding Runes will be set at 9:15 pm tomorrow, and I will speak with the families about restitution. I hope you have very deep pockets, Director David."

"I thank you for the lives of my children." Eli David bowed his head to the Council before returning to his seat.

Liat and Malachi exchanged a look. Once they knew Director David's thoughts, they would report to their superiors.

~~}~~

Once the Tribunal was adjourned, the _Leverage Pack_ converged on Eliot and Quinn as they walked through the door.

"What did that all that mean?" Hardison acted as their spokesperson.

A glare from Eliot backed everyone up. "Can we pretend to be a little civilized and let me get through the door. I need a beer and some food, and we'll sit down and talk about what's going to happen tomorrow night."

Quinn grabbed a couple beers out of the fridge. Passing one to Eliot, he exchanged the beer for a kiss before going to sit at the breakfast nook. Once everyone was settled out of his way, Eliot began pulling out ingredients for supper. Once everything was organized, he began to explain while he chopped and sautéed.

"Our oldest records come from the Middle East. There's a reason it's called _The Cradle of Life_. When the International Council was established, the scholars went to all the archives around the world and collected all the laws. A lot of the laws pertained to specific situations in specific countries, but they compiled a list of the best, presented it to the beings that had been selected to represent them."

Eliot set his beef stew to simmer and joined the others at the table. "They decided each continent would have a Council seat. Since only temporary expeditions live on Antarctica, that takes out one. Asia and Africa are so large, they each have two Councils. Africa is split north and south … Asia east and west. British Isles are combined with Greenland, and Iceland. That's ten with _The Gwydion_ being the tiebreaker. Every five years each individual Council has a gathering. At that time, it's determined whether to have an election for new leadership, or to hold the status quo. Every six years the Councils all meet to determine the same for _The Gwydion._ " Eliot got up to check his stew and grab a second plate of finger food.

"I didn't know we were going to get a history lesson." Hardison teased as Parker stole a handful of his _Goldfish_. "Woman!" He admonished the blond.

"I'm a thief." Parker sing-songed as she hid behind Tony.

"You want to know what's going to happen tomorrow … You have to have context." Eliot growled.

"Having to hide what I was, I don't know any of this, so I want to hear it." Tony mock glared at the Hacker.

"We should visit Walter when we get home. He knows everything." Parker smiled wide at the group.

"Might not be a bad idea. We haven't seen the old goat in a while." Quinn winked at Eliot. "Lots of places to run on the rez."

"As long as you don't get your fool ass full of buckshot for chasing the sheep." Eliot growled at his Mate.

"Back to subject at hand." Tony tried to wrangle the conversation back on track.

"The new International Council gets together with the archivists, and they go through all the rules from all the countries. Remember, this was a time when there weren't many people or countries. They set down a _Book of Law_ that is strictly for the Old Races. Anything outside those offences are handled in the Mundane courts. If Parker steals a painting and gets caught, it's up to the Mundane courts to punish her. For what the two Djinn did … The murder of wolf shifters, or any member of the Old Races takes precedent over Mundane courts. They could have gotten the death penalty, but Daddy dearest agreed to write fat restitution checks, so his kids get life in prison and a Binding Rune." Eliot finished his beer and pulled out another. "It takes two Mages to bind someone's power. One Mage places a Rune on the throat and the other places one opposite at the back of the neck. There are simple bindings meant to last for a short sentence, and there are more complicated bindings that last until death. If you find the right person and pay enough money you might even be able to find someone to break the binding, but it's more likely you'll be wasting your money or get yourself killed in the process. Rhiannon and I do the bindings for the International Council. I think Rhiannon and your Aunt Liv do them for the North Sea Council. Anyway, once they're bound, they'll no longer be able to use their abilities as a Djinn the rest of their lives."

"Not like they'll need them in prison." Quinn growled. Eliot laid a hand over his in empathy for his grief over Chris' death.

"Now everybody out. Supper'll be ready in 30." Eliot turned back to pull the makings for a salad out of the refrigerator.

"Yeah, Eliot's used up like … A whole year worth of words." Hardison teased. "He probably needs to save some for tomorrow."

"I'll give you save some for tomorrow." Eliot growled as he grabbed a dishtowel and began to spin it into a rope. "Out!"

"I'm going … I'm going … Sheesh." Hardison scampered out of the kitchen just as Eliot snapped the towel toward his retreating backside. "Missed me!" Alec yelled from the safety of the stairs.

"Just wait 'til our next training session." Eliot growled.

"Dammit." The Hacker stomped up to his and Parker's room.

~~}~~

Eliot spent the next morning with his sister, refreshing their knowledge of the binding spell and collecting the tools and ingredients they would need. Instead of returning to their wing of the cottage afterward, the Retrieval Specialist grabbed his Mate, and two wolves disappeared into the woods.

Several of Tony's Paddington cousins came to drag their American relation off to a nearby pub for lunch and 'real' football. Sheena had given Parker the names of several Fae couples that worked in support for the Council telling her they may have more information about her parents. The thief pulled Hardison along to make sure she acted _normal_.

It was a relaxed _Leverage Pack_ that gathered back in the Council chambers to watch the binding ritual. Tony had pulled Parker and Hardison along with him when he was directed to sit behind Tom with A.J.

"You know what's going; happen?" Chegwidden asked Tony.

"Eliot explained a bit of the history of the Council and the ritual last night."

"It's something you'll need to learn since you and Tom are the only Mages on the North American Council at the moment."

"But …"

"I know. Not exactly what you signed up for when you transferred to Homeland." A.J. patted the younger man on the back. "You're too powerful to sit in the background, Tony."

"You have a fine teacher in Eliot. Wait'll he introduces you to Walter Black Dog. Tom and I should probably see if we can rope the old man into sitting on the Council."

"They mentioned a Walter last night. Who is he?"

"A Guardian that lives on the tribal lands in Oklahoma. He raised Eliot and Rhiannon after their parents were killed. Since you're family you can probably talk him into being on the Council when you visit."

"I thought you said you and Tom …" Tony trailed off at A.J.'s smirk. "Oh no, Eliot said it was up to Tom to pick his Council. I'm going as the new kid in the family."

"We'll see what happens once you get your team in place." The retired admiral nodded his head as though his plans were falling in place.

"A.J. …"

"It's all good, Tony. You'll see."

Before their conversation could continue the electric lights dimmed. Torches around the chamber lit along with candles set in a circle where the accused had sat earlier. Ziva and Ari were once again shackled to the tables wearing tops cut low to expose their neck and throats. Rhiannon was in black formal dress of _The Lady Gwydion_. Eliot was dressed in elaborate white buckskins that had been created by Black Dog and honored the heritage he'd received from his father. Eagle feathers and beads decorated the dark hair that spread over his shoulders.

Eliot stood on Ziva's left while Rhiannon stood on the right. After painting a potion around the base of her neck, the siblings spoke the spell together, Rhiannon's left hand at Ziva's throat while Eliot's right lay on the back of her neck. Those in the room sensitive to magic felt the rise of power as the pair continued speaking. As the ritual reached its crescendo, Ziva tried to move from under their hands. When the final word was spoken, Ziva screamed as the smell of burnt flesh filled the room. The brother and sister stepped away from the Djinn as she slumped in her chair.

The ritual was repeated with Ari with the same effects. After the detritus from the ritual had been cleared, the siblings walked straight and tall from the chamber leaving the two slumped bodies behind. Once the doors closed behind them, they leaned into each other. Eliot got them to the anteroom they had used to prepare. He settled his sister in a chair with an energy drink. Eliot changed out of his buckskins and carefully wrapped them to be cleaned when they got home. He joined Rhiannon with a drink of his own to grab a few minutes rest before they went back in the chamber. Eliot returned to his post while Rhiannon returned to her husband's side.

"Ziva David and Ari Hawari, arrangements have been made for you to be transported to Israel with our Council member from the East Asia Council. Ziva David, you will be housed at Neve Tirza Women's Prison in Ramla for the remainder of your days. Ari Haswari, you will be housed at Ayalon Prison, also in Ramla for the remainder of your days. Director David you will receive correspondence from the Council in regard to the amounts of restitution. This Tribunal having concluded its business is now adjourned." _The Gwydion_ brought the gavel down for the last time.

Eli David intercepted the East Asian _Wezraa_ on her way to her lodgings. "Ah, Director David, I am assuming you are wanting a place on my plane for you and your security detail?"

"If you would be so kind. I would spend time with my children before our time is much more restricted."

"Of course. As a parent myself, I can understand the stress this situation must be causing."

"Thank you, _Wezraa_."

"The plane will be taking off at noon tomorrow." Her assistant handed Eli a note with the gate information.

"We will be ready."

Waiting until they were in the privacy of the limo from the Israeli Embassy, before quizzing his security detail.

"Have you found me any information about this binding ritual?"

"We have, but none of it is good, Director. It is said no one builds a spell like the Spenser siblings. It is said that should an attempt be made to break the binding the spell turns back on the person wearing the Rune." Ben-Gidon offered

"If the caster is killed?" David asked through gritted teeth. He was getting tired of Eliot Spencer getting the better of him.

"Does not make a difference. The binding is anchored to Ari and Ziva's lifeforce. Killing the Spencers would serve no purpose other than to bring the wrath of their Mates and the International and North Sea Council onto your house." Liat's smile was not pleasant.

"We will continue to search. I am sure for enough money some fool will be willing to try to break the binding."

"Of course, Director."

The Mates exchanged a look. This could be the beginning of the end for Director Eli David.

 ** _~ Five Years Later ~_**

Anthony DiNozzo scrubbed his hands through his hair. Five years after transferring to Homeland Security, he can't believe this is his life. Looking around his new office he sees Parker poking through offices, closets, and cabinets. Hardison is talking to his tablet making a list of everything he needs to make sure the IT is cutting edge. Quinn is checking the building's security to make sure it's tight. Eliot was standing next to him laughing at Tony's frustration.

"Yuck it up, Laughing Boy. Remember you're in this, too."

"Who'da thought the government would hire a bunch of bad guys to be good guys."

"May you live in interesting times." Tony watched his pack mates' antics.

On New Year's Day instead of sitting in front of their ridiculously large television watching bowl games, Morrow had called the pack to a meeting at the White House. They'd set in the Cabinet room with the President, Attorney General, Secretary of Defense, and the heads of the Intelligence Agencies. They were shown plans for a brand new agency devoted entirely to acts committed by or to Old Races, but would fall under the umbrella of Homeworld Security. For cases that needed the special touch that only _Leverage International_ could provide, they would be brought in on an _as needed_ basis. The thing that surprised Tony most about the _Old Races Bureau of Investigation_ , other than being named Director, was that Eliot's security clearance had been higher than his until he agreed to take the Director's position. Finding out the purpose of Homeworld Security had given him a whole new set of nightmares but had given him a partner to share those nightmares. If this new agency was successful, the concept could be implemented in other countries.

Tony's Task Force would be moving over from Homeland, and the first interviews to fill the Agent in Charge and Section Chiefs would begin tomorrow. Some of the applications had been a real surprise. One of the surprises were Harm and Sarah Rabb. The retired JAG officers would be heading up the agency's legal department.

A fresh cup of coffee appeared under his nose. "Bless you. Hardison needs to hurry up. I'm going cross-eyed reading all these applications."

"Thanks for bringing the guys I recommended in and giving them a chance."

"We need tactical people, and you brought me some incredible talent."

"Yeah, I can still hear Colonel Vance screaming." Eliot laughed. "Speaking of Colonels, is yours 'porting in for the weekend?"

"Yeah. They just got back from a mission, so they have week downtime after their reports are wrapped. Jack has to be back on base Monday for some of those _other duties as assigned_."

"Are you whining?" Eliot arched an eyebrow.

"Of course not. The Director of the ORBI does not whine." Tony pouted. "I know the hazards of being a 2IC. I think I have an idea for that problem we've been working on at home."

"Oh? Madame Su is providing supper tonight, so we'll have lots of time to talk it out."

"Hey guys … You ready to blow this joint?" Hardison stuck his head in the door.

"Got everything you need?" Tony asked the Hacker.

"All set. We should have what we need installed by the end of the week."

"Great. Let's call it a day."

An hour later everyone was comfortable and digging into an excellent variety of foods from Madame Su's.

"Do you remember a television show that was on the air during the whole Y2k non-event?" When everyone gave him a blank look, Tony pushed on. "Your pop culture education is woefully lacking. The names we have that there's absolutely no way anyone can touch them … We use the same trick the intelligent and good-looking hero of the show used."

"So, what did the handsome hero do?" Parker started rooting through the food bags for fortune cookies.

While Tony explained, the pack stared slack jawed.

"You're kidding, right?" Quinn started to laugh until he noticed no one else joined him.

"Hardison?" Eliot asked.

"Could be doable."

"Will you know by _Sunday Night Football_ time _?_ "

With a nod, Hardison headed for his workroom … Parker right behind him.

~~}~~

Sunday night came too soon as far as Tony was concerned. He'd kissed Jack goodbye for another week and sent him back to Colorado. Now it was time to put his plan into motion. Shut in Eliot's recording studio, there would be no external sounds to give clues to his location.

"You ready, Man?" Hardison checked his computer. Tony gave him a nod. "3 … 2 … 1 … Go!"

Eliot was setting up trays of snack foods and making sure the mini-fridge was stocked before the game started. He settled into his chair and twisted the top off his beer. He nearly spit his first drink of beer when static appeared on the 70-inch screen. Green eyes appeared in the middle of the static.

 _"Do not adjust your set. This is a streaming freedom video. This is a secure cable hack and will last exactly sixty seconds. It cannot be traced, and it cannot be stopped, and it is the only free voice left in the city. Remember 2008 when the markets tanked …"_

As suddenly as the green eyes appeared, they were gone. Tony had certainly set the cat among the pigeons now. It would be interesting to see if they got to cross this guy off their _Black Book_. Eliot got out of his chair and headed for his basement recording studio.

"Dammit Hardison!"

 _~ Finis ~_


End file.
